A highly decorated former Israeli defense minister has caused a firestorm by accusing Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in northern Gaza.

Moshe Yaalon, a former Israeli defense minister, has accused his country of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip. Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesperson, says its investigation hasn't found evidence of the IDF committing any war crimes or ethnic cleansing.

A former Israeli defense minister is accusing his country of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

As tit-for-tat strikes strain a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah less than a week since it went into effect, Israel’s defense minister on Tuesday threatened to directly target the Lebanese state should the agreement fall apart.

Israeli forces launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon following a rocket attack on Israeli territory by militants, despite a previously agreed ceasefire, reports the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).