Israeli soldiers describe the near-total absence of firing regulations in the Gaza war, with troops shooting as they please, setting homes ablaze, and leaving corpses on the streets — all with their commanders’ permission.
By Oren Ziv, +972 Magazine
In early June, Al Jazeera aired a series of disturbing videos revealing what it described as “summary executions”: Israeli soldiers shooting dead several Palestinians walking near the coastal road in the Gaza Strip, on three separate occasions. In each case, the Palestinians appeared unarmed and did not pose any imminent threat to the soldiers.
Such footage is rare, due to the severe constraints faced by journalists in the besieged enclave and the constant danger to their lives. But these executions, which did not appear to have any security rationale, are consistent with the testimonies of six Israeli soldiers who spoke to +972 Magazine and Local Call following their release from active duty in Gaza in recent months. Corroborating the testimonies of Palestinian eyewitnesses and doctors throughout the war, the soldiers described being authorized to open fire on Palestinians virtually at will, including civilians.
The six sources — all except one of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity — recounted how Israeli soldiers routinely executed Palestinian civilians simply because they entered an area that the military defined as a “no-go zone.” The testimonies paint a picture of a landscape littered with civilian corpses, which are left to rot or be eaten by stray animals; the army only hides them from view ahead of the arrival of international aid convoys, so that “images of people in advanced stages of decay don’t come out.” Two of the soldiers also testified to a systematic policy of setting Palestinian homes on fire after occupying them.
Recent Posts
In a Country That Needs Heroes, Here Are a Few Standouts This Election Season
Take Action Now Right now, the United States is unhappy enough to need a lot of heroes – and during this election year, many have emerged. Here are…
DSA Is Eyeing a 2028 AOC Presidential Run
Take Action Now Members of the Democratic Socialists of America are thinking seriously about a national presidential campaign for Alexandria…
Israel Is Accelerating Plans to Annex Neighboring Lands
Take Action Now Israel’s ethnic cleansing of southern Lebanon and Gaza has reached a scale unseen since the Nakba. The history of Israel’s offensives…
The Democratic Party Still Hates the Left
Take Action Now The Democratic Party is terrified of even small liberal reforms and will not abide left leaning democrats thwarting their plans for…