Israel Rejects own soldiers Accounts of Gaza killing of innocent unarmed civilians

FOR THE FIRST time in its history, the Israeli Military College has published very damaging statements and accounts by its own soldiers, describing their killing of innocent and mostly unarmed civilians and their wanton vandalism during Israel’s 22-day assault on the Gaza Strip. Israel launched its attack two days after Christmas and ended it two days before the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

By the time it declared a unilateral cease-fire, more than 1,400 Palestinians were dead, including more than 440 children, 110 women, and 123 elderly and sick people, according to medical sources in Gaza.

By comparison, 10 Israeli soldiers and three Israeli civilians died, four of the soldiers as a result of friendly fire.

The Israeli soldiers’ personal statements and eyewitness accounts confirmed similar findings by human rights groups who interviewed civilians and eyewitnesses throughout Gaza.

Many of those interviewed lost family, friends and neighbors, as well as farm animals, saw their homes, possessions and property reduced to rubble, and witnessed many war crimes committed during “Operation Cast Lead.”

Among the accounts by graduates of the Yitzhak Rabin Pre-military Academy at Oranim Academic College and published in the academy’s newsletter, one that is particularly horrifying describes an IDF sniper killing a mother and her small children at close range after Israeli soldiers had suddenly ordered them to leave their home and run to safety.

The woman and two of her children—unarmed, frightened and nervous—allegedly were shot because they misunderstood the soldiers’ instructions about which side of the street to walk down.

In other words, they were shot for going left instead of right.

Another graduate described what he considered the “cold-blooded murder” of a Palestinian woman.

“The testimonies conveyed an atmosphere in which one feels entitled to use unrestricted force against Palestinians,” academy director Dany Zamir told Israel public radio.

“The climate in general…I don’t know how to describe it…. the lives of Palestinians, let’s say, are much, much less important than the lives of our soldiers,” an infantry squad leader is quoted as saying in the testimonies.

In another cited case, a commander ordered his troops to kill an elderly female civilian walking on a road, even though she was easily identifiable and clearly posed no immediate threat to the soldiers.

The testimonies, by combat pilots and infantry soldiers, also included allegations of the unnecessary destruction of Palestinian property and the ransacking and bulldozing of homes.

“We would throw everything out of the windows…refrigerators, plates, furniture. The order was to throw all of the house’s contents outside,” a soldier said.

Investigation Closed

The Israeli military, however, quickly closed the investigation into the soldiers’ testimonies, calling the accounts inaccurate and stating: “The military police investigation found that the crucial components of their descriptions were based on hearsay and not supported by specific personal knowledge.”

In a telephone interview, Michael Sfard, legal counselor for the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, said, “Such a decision by the military court is one more crack that makes our moral structure more shaky and less solid—the more we have such cracks, the less we will be able to stand up for our values.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations announced that South African Judge Richard Goldstone will head an international fact-finding mission into allegations of war crimes by Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza. The former war crimes prosecutor will head a four-member team whose mandate stems from a resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Moshe Hanegbi, legal commentator for Israel public radio, argued that the investigation should not be conducted by the military, “as it would not be credible at a time when Israel is accused of war crimes---more at link