'Do not spare a soul': Israeli rabbi says women, children should be killed in Gaza

A rabbi in Israel has called for the extermination of all civilians in Gaza, including women and children.

Eliyahu Mali, who was talking to an audience at the Shirat Moshe religious school in Jaffa, which he heads, said the killing of all civilians in Gaza was in line with Jewish law teachings, known as Halakha.

He was addressing students who serve in the Israeli military.

A video of his speech went viral on social media.

"Do not spare any soul," which Mali says is the basic rule when fighting a holy war, in this case Gaza, according to Jewish doctrine.

"And the logic of this is very clear. If you don’t kill them, they’ll attempt to kill you," he claims.

He goes on to say that the women are the one who create "terrorists," justifying the killing of these women and their infants.

"Whoever comes to kill you with this concept does not only include the young man…who is now pointing a weapon at you, but also the future generation, and those who produce the future generation, because there is really no difference," the rabbi continues.

"Today he is a baby, tomorrow he is a fighter, we will shoot them."
- Rabbi Eliyahu Mali 🇮🇱#GazaGenocide #Macron #Erdogan pic.twitter.com/5Kd3P9NPJy

— Palestine Info Center (@palinfoen) March 9, 2024

Elderly people are also legitimate targets, according to Mali, when asked about whether seniors should also be killed.

"There is no such thing called innocent creature. By the way, the elderly man is capable of carrying a rifle and shooting. Therefore, the Torah is very clear in the ruling."

"The children too should be killed?" one person asked the rabbi.

"It’s the same thing, the same thing. When the Torah says do not spare any soul, then you must not spare any soul."

"Today he is a child…tomorrow he is a fighter," Mali says.

He claims, according to numbers by the Israeli army, a vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza want to annihilate "us" – without clarifying if he meant Jews specifically or Israelis.

Genocidal remarks such as these have become frequent among several Israeli officials, including politicians, religious leaders, and people in the military.

Close to 31,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel’s unprecedented campaign since October 7, mostly women and children according to the Palestinian territory’s health ministry.

Israel’s siege of the coastal enclave and its five-month long bombardment has also resulted in famine, from which several children have already died. Some humanitarian aid has trickled in, but it is far from enough for Gaza’s more than 2 million inhabitants.