Whistleblower Israeli soldiers describe killing unarmed Palestinians as they ‘demolish’ Gaza

Israel army Gaza shot without a gun Palestinians created a “protocol” for use “without restriction” using civilians as human shieldsMilitary whistleblowers claimed that he pursued a policy of “destroy, demolish, transfer”.

shockingly documentary to be published ITVAt least a dozen soldiers have detailed how Gaza has turned into a “zombie apocalypse” after two years of unprecedented Israeli aggression.

During this time, they said, commanders told them to ignore international law, use civilians, including teenagers, as human shields, celebrate drone strikes and “take revenge on them all.”

The statements include statements from the contractor of a controversial construction site operated by Israel. Gaza Humanitarian Aid FoundationHe also talked about immorality destruction of civilian infrastructureThey set fire to the houses of Palestinians, whom they turned into forward bases. Shooting people seeking help in distribution areasand an “unprecedented” bombing campaign that caused massive collateral damage.

An officer identified only as Lieutenant Colonel B, who served more than 300 days in Gaza, described the attack as “all-out” and added that he believed there was “no limit” to collateral damage.

“If you ask me, I would push them all into the sea. [with bulldozers] On October 7, we gave them snorkels and let them swim in Egypt,” he told ITV. exposure.

Another, whose identity is protected, added: [company] There were people who openly said ‘let’s demolish it, let’s demolish it, let’s transfer it’. [out of Gaza]’.”

Following Hamas’ bloody attacks on southern Israel, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign and siege of Gaza, according to Israeli estimates. According to Israeli estimates, more than 1,000 people died and more than 250 people were taken hostage in these attacks.

In the documentary Breaking the Lines: Inside the Israeli WarSoldiers said that Israel then launched a “revenge campaign”.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment and war have killed more than 64,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials. It also destroyed or damaged more than 90 percent of homes and displaced most of the population of 2.3 million, according to the UN.

Meanwhile, Israel’s siege of the tiny 25-mile-long territory has pushed the strip into famine and led to a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. The UN Commission of Inquiry concluded this year that Israel had made the commitment. genocide.

Israel has vehemently and repeatedly rejected these allegations, calling them false and anti-Semitic. The army made many statements IndependentIt denied that it had deliberately violated international law or committed any crime, and maintained that any possible violations were being investigated.

But on ITV exposure In the film, an infantry soldier named only “Yaakov” said the destruction was so widespread that they “destroyed a society.”

“All the mosques, almost all the hospitals, almost all the universities, every cultural institution were destroyed,” he added bitterly. “You have destroyed a society. You do not need to kill them one by one to destroy all traces of the society that once existed there.”

He said his company used two Palestinians, including a 16-year-old boy, as human shields.

When soldiers protested, he said, they were told by their commanders: “Soldiers don’t need to worry about international law, they just don’t need to worry about the ‘IDF spirit’.”

Tank unit commander Daniel said the use of human shields was common.

“It’s called the ‘Mosquito Protocol.’ It involves a method, a process, that turns a Palestinian into a so-called agent. It’s specifically designed to work in tunnels, and it’s something that has proven to be very, very useful,” he added.

After about a week, he said, each company began operating with its own “mosquito.”

“That’s three Palestinians per battalion, nine to 12 per brigade, dozens, hundreds per division,” he continued, adding, “It saves soldiers’ lives.”

Independent’s own investigation into the use of human shields It revealed that children as young as 12 were sometimes forced to wear military uniforms to inspect homes and roads, and search tunnels and militants.

When asked about these statements, the Israeli military said: “IDF orders and directives prohibit the use of Gazan civilians captured in the field for military missions that would endanger them.”

Another disturbing fact revealed in the film was the wanton destruction of some areas in the strip, which the World Bank estimated would cost $53 billion to rebuild.

Last year, the UN Conference on Trade and Development said that even if the war stopped, if Gaza remained under an Israeli blockade, it could take a staggering 350 years for its battered economy to return to pre-war levels.

Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, who spent more than 500 days in Gaza driving bulldozers and leveling areas in the strip, also spoke to filmmakers in his settlement.

He claims that he came up with the idea of ​​systematically destroying entire neighborhoods in Gaza and inspired other units in the Israeli army.

“We changed the behavior of an entire army. The IDF is investing hundreds of thousands of shekels to destroy the Gaza Strip.”

He argues that the mass destruction of civilians’ homes was justified, claiming in one video: “Everything out there is a massive terrorist infrastructure.”

The soldiers also recalled several incidents in which unarmed Palestinians were killed, including a man hanging his laundry on the roof; One soldier says a tank brigade 600-700 meters away tagged him as a “spotter” and destroyed half the building. In another incident, a young man pushing a car was shot in the head.

Another soldier, “Eli”, said that at the end of their deployment, his commander reported that they had neutralized “112 terrorists”, but added: “I can easily say that… only one of them was suspected of being armed. So, no one even claimed that the other 111 people we killed were armed.”

IDF major Neta Caspin also explains the UAV war; He said he watched drone operators follow a man walking down the Netzarim corridor for half an hour before he was shot, and then a fellow soldier told them to “be happy.”

Another unnamed soldier said operating a drone in Gaza “felt like a game.”

He added bluntly: “You can sit half-dressed in the basement of a house, with your helmet on, safe, scratching your balls, and kill Palestinians.”

‘Rank Breaking: Inside the Israeli War’ on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player