IDF soldiers
© AFP 2016/Jaafar Ashtiyeh
The former head of the Israeli army's Central Command, General Gadi Shamni, called Israel the "world champion" of occupation, adding that Jerusalem's approach will never result in a peaceful solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Shamni made his remarks on Wednesday, at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.

"We brought the occupation to a level of art. We are the world champions of occupation. I was head of Central Command. The commander of the occupation," he said.

Speaking of Israeli policies toward Palestinian territories, he said that "Palestinians will not accept the continuation of the endless occupation."

The "only acceptable solution," to the enduring conflict, he stated, would be a "separation agreement from the Palestinians."

This is not the first instance of a former top-level Israeli official slamming Israel for its policies toward Palestine.

On Tuesday, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said that Israel would be plunged into a civil war if racism and bigotry continues to divide the country.

"The internal threat must worry us more than the external threat," Jerusalem Post cited him as saying. "If a society crosses a certain line in its division and hatred, it is a real possibility to see a phenomenon like a civil war."

Earlier in July, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Israel for turning occupied territories into an "open-air prison." He called on the world community to take a stand against Israel's "fascist policies" and "never-ending provocations" and said that the end of the occupation would mean the end of world terrorism.

Israel seized the West Bank during the 1967 War. Since then it has been illegally constructing buildings and razing Palestinian settlements. On Wednesday, Jerusalem gave a green light to the construction of 285 new housing units in Israeli settlements on the occupied territories, despite continuous objection from the United Nations.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict exacerbated sharply in August 2015, after Isareli authorities banned Palestinians from entering East Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque, deemed one of the holiest shrines for for both Jews and Muslims.

Since a October 2015 spike in hostilities, Israeli forces have killed at least 236 Palestinians.