Israeli soldiers admit shooting dead civilians during Gaza war

[Vince Noir]

Acceptable collateral damage? Right...

For those of you I have discussed with, and many of which have denied, the appalling conducts of the IDF. For those of you who worship the ground the IDF walk on. For those of you who revel in their spectacular bravery while brandishing the brutality of a nation of caged "insurgents." For those of you who struggle to read an entire article, read the highlighted sections.

I pray this is the first of many admissions. Justice will prevail.

In detailed accounts published by the Israeli media, soldiers also told of the wanton destruction of property during the 22-day conflict with Hamas.

An infantry squad leader described an incident in which a sniper mistakenly shot a Palestinian woman and her two children after the family misunderstood the order of another soldier and turned the wrong direction.

"The sharpshooter saw a woman and children approaching him, closer than the lines he was told no one should pass. He shot them straight away," he said.

"I don't think he felt too bad about it, because after all, as far as he was concerned, he did his job according to the orders he was given. And the atmosphere in general, from what I understood from most of my men who I talked to ... I don't know how to describe it .... The lives of Palestinians, let's say, is something [that seemed] much less important than the lives of our soldiers. So as far as they are concerned they can justify it that way."

From the soldiers' testimony there appeared to be a policy in place, at least during part of the operation, that anyone who remained in certain open areas would be deemed as suspicious and could be shot.

The Israeli army said that its chief advocate had ordered the military police to investigate the claims. An earlier statement said that the army had no evidence to support claims in Haaretz that the soldiers acted under what the newspaper described as "permissive rules of engagement".

Another squad leader described such a situation in which an older Palestinian woman was shot and killed because she was walking about 100 yards from a house that the company had taken over.

The same soldier described graffiti such as "Death to the Arabs" written on the walls of homes that were commandeered and said he saw soldiers spitting on family photographs.

"I think this is the main thing: to understand how much the Israel Defence Forces has fallen in the realm of ethics, really. It's what I'll remember the most," he said.

The accounts, which were published in the Haaretz and Maariv newspapers, immediately met with calls for an independent inquiry. A human rights groups, Yesh Din, said: "The testimonies that were published today in the Israeli media cast a shadow not just over the specific soldiers who carried out these deeds but also on high-ranking officials who gave the commands to open fire.

"If these orders were given as described in the testimonies, then both the issuing of the orders and their implementation are criminal offences."

Israel launched a massive three-week air and ground assault on Gaza at the end of December in response to rocket fire into Israel by militant groups. In the course of the fighting an estimated 1,300 Palestinian were killed, as many as half of them thought to be civilians. Thirteen Israelis were killed

Source, Telegraph

[Norpheus]

Yea they really know how to wage war thats not gonna make the world hate them even moore for sure. Its almost like they want to proove that the Nazi were right afterall

People say this war is mostly about the media, well Israel just lost a battle.

[Vince Noir]

Yea they really know how to wage war thats not gonna make the world hate them even moore for sure

It's not just the world. This article is a fraction of what goes on out there. It's the stories that don't even reach the newspapers, that many on this board refute happen. It is the upmost humiliation of a nation as countless murders go simply unnoticed.

[Norpheus]

It's not just the world. This article is a fraction of what goes on out there. It's the stories that don't even reach the newspapers, that many on this board refute happen. It is the upmost humiliation of a nation ascountless murders and atrocities go simply unnoticed.

I saw a documentary yesterday where it was approved by a research group working for Amnesty(it was on the tv aswell, In sweden) that Israel had used some kind of flamebomb (White Phosphorous - Thanks Caduet) on buildings such as schools, houses, hospitals aswell as the FN buildings.

[ShADoW]

I guess even the civilized becomes uncivilized some point in time ....

[Norge]

Acceptable collateral damage?

Yes. There's nothing spectacular about the casualty figures.

[Vince Noir]

Yes. There's nothing spectacuar about the casualty figures.

And what standards are these by? Your own?

[Tominokar]

Here's a good article describing a specific case of needless killing of civilians.

For Fares Akram, The Independent's reporter in Gaza, the Israeli invasion became a personal tragedy when he discovered his father was one of the first casualties of the ground war

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...r-1225793.html

Israeli soldiers have basically been given the mindset that Palestinians are beneath them- racially, culturally, however you want to think it, the soldiers despise them. This extreme racism, so ironic due to the history of the jews, is why the civilian death toll is so high every time Israel invades Palestine. It's a wonder that some human rights groups still survive with such resentment in the general populace, but the fact they do means Israel hasn't completely gone to .

[Da Skinna]

Phosphorous I think... a real nasty dust too.

[Caduet]

Norph- You're probably talking about White Phosphorous. But please, don't bring it up because zionist ers are gonna spend 6+ pages explaining why its ok to burn people to death like that if you're Israel, and THB I don't really want to read that all over again.

Regarding the article- Well, duh, the IDF acts this way.
"The lives of Palestinians, let's say, is something [that seemed] much less important than the lives of our soldiers. So as far as they are concerned they can justify it that way."
Sure its digusting but thats what the Zionists are gonna say. Literally a hundred dead Arabs for one dead jew.

[Norge]

And what standards are these by? Your own?

Taken into consideration that it's the worlds most densely populated place, and compared to other conflicts. Again there's nothing spectacular about it.

Norph- You're probably talking about White Phosphorous. But please, don't bring it up because zionist ers are gonna spend 6+ pages explaining why its ok to burn people to death like that if you're Israel, and THB I don't really want to read that all over again

And they used phosphorous on people

As was said so many times, but ignored by anti-semites; The white phosporus shells are used as smoke screens for ground incursions.

[ShADoW]

As was said so many times, but ignored by anti-semites; The white phosporus shells are used as smoke screens for ground incursions.

So, Israel's doesnt have the common sense to use normal smoke, but instead use gas capable of burning people? Interesting indeed.

[Spinoza]

As was said so many times, but ignored by anti-semites; shells are used as smoke screens for ground incursions.

Are they?

[Ivan6]

Taken into consideration that it's the worlds most densely populated place, and compared to other conflicts. Again there's nothing spectacular about it.


As was said so many times, but ignored by anti-semites; The white phosporus shells are used as smoke screens for ground incursions.

Those comments make no sense because there was such a small number of legitimate terrorists and targets to legally shoot at, and it is totally illegal to use phosphorous in populated areas at all.
And since Israel had armor, air cover, and greater range, smoke is counter productive.
They did not use it for cover, because it instead would be giving cover to the Palestinians, who only had short range weapons like RPG's.
Clearly it was intended to start massive amounts of fires, with airburst dispersal.

[Martin N]

What do you expect, its not exactly like either side loved each other, just another stain on israel nonetheless, its times like these self defense really wheres thin, but you know, they might have mistaken the civilians for carrying bottle rockets...you know how scared israelis are of them...yeah

[Vince Noir]

What do you expect, its not exactly like either side loved each other, just another stain on israel nonetheless, its times like these self defense really wheres thin, but you know, they might have mistaken the civilians for carrying bottle rockets...you know how scared israelis are of them...yeah

Hm. I'll bear that in mind the next time I stab a guy in the face because he has dark skin and beard. You know what those guys are capable of.

I knew all about this before hand. And they used phosphorous on people, nasty business but it's ok because israel can do no wrong...

The use of chemical weapons is indeed shameful. However, the gain of this article is the admission of a severe lack of ethical conduct by the IDF. Israel will always remain, at least for some time to come. The off the record brutality needs to stop if there is to be any chance of a peaceful two state solution.

[Adhamh Ashashi]

I knew all about this before hand. And they used phosphorous on people, nasty business but it's ok because israel can do no wrong...

[Adhamh Ashashi]

The use of chemical weapons is indeed shameful. However, the gain of this article is the admission of a severe lack of ethical conduct by the IDF. Israel will always remain, at least for some time to come. The off the record brutality needs to stop if there is to be any chance of a peaceful two state solution.

Yes but if the IDF are admitting to this, what are they hiding then....

Tip of the iceberg my friend, just the tip.

[Martin N]

An infantry squad leader described an incident in which a sniper mistakenly shot a Palestinian woman and her two children after the family misunderstood the order of another soldier and turned the wrong direction.

"The sharpshooter saw a woman and children approaching him, closer than the lines he was told no one should pass. He shot them straight away," he said.

"I don't think he felt too bad about it, because after all, as far as he was concerned, he did his job according to the orders he was given. And the atmosphere in general, from what I understood from most of my men who I talked to ... I don't know how to describe it .... The lives of Palestinians, let's say, is something [that seemed] much less important than the lives of our soldiers. So as far as they are concerned they can justify it that way."

That part of the articicle really made me sick, the bastards, just because they crossed into an area ? they shot a women and 2 children dead, comeone aziel wheres your israel is never wrong ideas now ? wheres the self defense ? wheres the stopping the rocket attacks ? exactly, the IDF is worse than dogs

[ShADoW]

"They were a threat to security of the soldiers" lol