Washington Post highlights thousands of clips by IDF troops showing apparent violations of international law
By LAZAR BERMAN
FOLLOW
3 Dec 2024, 5:46 pm
Israeli soldiers drive past destroyed buildings in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on September 13, 2024 (Sharon ARONOWICZ / AFP)
The Washington Post publishes an in-depth investigation into videos posted by Israeli reservists during 14 months of war that show actions and behavior that could violate both IDF orders and international law.
“Videos and photographs have repeatedly shown [IDF] forces demolishing entire buildings, including homes and schools, as well as looting and torching them,” says the report. “Other visuals have Israeli soldiers posing next to dead bodies and calling for the extermination and expulsion of Palestinians.”
The outlet says it has viewed thousands of videos posted by IDF soldiers, “a vast cache that gives a rare and troubling view of how some elements of the Israeli military have conducted themselves” throughout the war.
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The Post also interviews IDF reservists who say they felt there was a sense of revenge motivating many of their comrades in Gaza.
Some of the videos make light of the destruction of civilian homes, which military necessity could justify in a range of scenarios in urban combat. Other videos show reservists filming Palestinian corpses in footage meant to be humorous or show a desire for revenge.
Israeli military ethicist Asa Kasher calls the phenomenon “a breakdown of not just military discipline, but a break in understanding what it takes to represent the IDF and Israel.”
The IDF says disciplinary talks have been held with some of the soldiers involved in incidents that “deviated from IDF values and principles and contradicted regulations.” It also says that if criminal conduct is involved, the military police are called in.
In February, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi sent a missive to troops, instructing them that the army is “not on a killing spree,” not acting out of revenge and not carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip.
“We act like human beings and, unlike our enemy, maintain our humanity. We must be careful not to use force where it is not required, to distinguish between a terrorist and those who are not, not to take anything that is not ours — a souvenir or weapons — and not to film revenge videos,” Halevi said.
The IDF chief’s comments came weeks after The New York Times published its own article, “What Israeli Soldiers’ Videos Reveal: Cheering Destruction and Mocking Gazans,” which showed photos and videos of Israeli soldiers making derogatory comments about Palestinians, vandalizing civilian property and smiling for the cameras while driving bulldozers and using explosives.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/washington-post-highlights-clips-by-idf-troops-showing-apparent-violations-of-international-law/
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