Yair Golan, a retired Israeli general and leader of the Democrats party, found himself at the center of a firestorm this week after comments that seemed to accuse Israel of killing Palestinian babies in Gaza “as a hobby.” The backlash was swift and fierce, with families of hostages, soldiers, and even his political allies reeling from the words. On Saturday, Golan walked back his statement, insisting he never meant to say Israel deliberately targeted children. “Of course not,” he said in a TV interview, his voice firm but weary, trying to douse the flames. “I was criticizing the government’s reckless policies, not our soldiers.” For a country grappling with war and grief, his words have stirred raw emotions, leaving many—like the families of the 59 hostages still in Gaza—feeling caught in a painful divide.

It all started Tuesday, when Golan, a former IDF deputy chief of staff, spoke on public radio, slamming Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war. “A sane country doesn’t fight civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby, and doesn’t aim to expel populations,” he said, warning that Israel risked becoming a “pariah state” like apartheid-era South Africa. The line about babies, meant to condemn the government’s approach, landed like a grenade. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “wild incitement” and a “blood libel,” accusing Golan of slandering IDF soldiers fighting to free hostages and defeat Hamas. Families like Einav Zangauker’s, whose son Matan remains captive, were livid. “How dare he say this while my son suffers?” Einav said, her voice breaking at a Tel Aviv rally. “He’s giving ammunition to our enemies.”

Golan, a hero to some for rushing into battle on October 7, 2023, to save lives during Hamas’s attack, didn’t back down entirely. In his clarification, he doubled down on attacking Netanyahu’s leadership, saying ministers, not soldiers, were pushing a “failed” war that’s left Gaza in ruins and hostages still trapped. “Our fighters are heroes; the government’s corrupt,” he said, pointing to far-right calls for Gaza’s depopulation. But his initial words cost him. A poll showed his party dropping from 11 to seven Knesset seats, and Defense Minister Israel Katz banned him from reserve duty and military bases, calling his remarks “slander.” Even allies like Yair Lapid winced, saying Golan’s words were “a gift to our enemies.”

The timing couldn’t be worse. Israel’s intensified Gaza offensive, which Netanyahu says aims to crush Hamas and free hostages, has killed over 600 Palestinians this week, per Gaza’s Health Ministry, including many civilians. The UN warned 14,000 babies could die soon due to aid blockades, which Israel only recently eased. Golan’s comments, though aimed at policy, hit a nerve in a nation still raw from October 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages. “I was talking about the government’s choices, not accusing soldiers,” Golan said Saturday, looking drained. “But I see how my words were heard, and I regret the misunderstanding.”

For families like the Zangaukers, the controversy feels like a distraction from their pain. Matan, held for over 600 days, is reportedly frail, and Einav spends her days protesting for a deal. “I don’t care about Golan’s apologies,” she said, clutching a photo of her son. “I just want Matan home.” Others, like protester Avi Cohen, see Golan’s point but hate his phrasing. “He’s right that the war’s gone too far, but ‘babies as a hobby’? That’s reckless,” Cohen said outside the Knesset. Meanwhile, far-right voices like Moshe Feiglin fanned the flames, shockingly calling every Gaza child “an enemy,” proving the debate’s toxicity.

Golan’s words have exposed a deep rift. Some Israelis, especially hostage families, feel he’s betrayed the IDF’s sacrifices. Others, like activist Uri Weltmann, see a growing unease with the war’s toll—53,000 Palestinians dead, per Gaza officials, and no end in sight. “He spoke a truth people don’t want to hear,” Weltmann said. As Israel braces for more fighting, Golan’s clarification may not be enough to heal the wounds his words opened, leaving a nation wrestling with its conscience and its losses.