Israel actions in Gaza 'close to war crimes', former Israeli prime minister says

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has condemned his country's actions in Gaza, accusing the government of killing innocent Palestinians amid growing criticism of its handling of the war.

In a BBC interview on Tuesday, Olmert, who served as the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, said what Israel was doing in Gaza is "very close to a war crime".

He told the network that the “obvious appearance” of the war on Gaza is that "thousands of innocent Palestinians are being killed, as well as many Israeli soldiers," adding that "from every point of view, this is obnoxious and outrageous.

"The war has no objective and has no chance of achieving anything that could save the lives of the hostages... We are fighting Hamas murderers, we are not fighting innocent civilians, and this must be clear," Olmert said. 

Olmert's comments drew ire from several Israeli politicians, including Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who said the former prime minister should be ashamed of himself.

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