Israeli opposition leader condemns his country for 'killing babies as a hobby'

A former Israeli general and the leader of the country's left-wing opposition party has said Israel risks becoming a "pariah state" and that a "sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations".

“Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don’t return to acting like a sane country,” Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, told Israeli public radio in an interview on Tuesday.

Golan's words drew a heated response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and centre-right opposition leader Yair Lapid, but come at a time of growing international criticism of Israel as it continues its war on Gaza and blocks deliveries of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave.

"A sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations," Golan said.

Read more: Israeli opposition leader condemns his country for 'killing babies as a hobby'