Israeli Occupation Soldiers Increasingly Refusing to Continue Fighting in Gaza

Gaza, MINA – A growing number of Israeli occupation soldiers are reportedly refusing to continue serving in the Gaza Strip, acknowledging that they are involved in war crimes and atrocities.

As quoted from Middle East Monitor, seven Israeli soldiers who refused to continue fighting in Gaza spoke about how the Occupation forces indiscriminately killed Palestinians, looted homes and destroyed or burned them, even though they posed no threat.

An unnamed former infantryman said that during his two-week deployment in late 2023, he witnessed Israeli forces burning about 15 buildings for no reason.

“I didn’t light a match, but I was standing guard outside the house. I was involved in a war crime,” the soldier said. “I deeply regret what we did.”

Yuval Green, a 27-year-old medic, was also quoted as saying that he witnessed soldiers desecrating, looting and vandalizing homes, before eventually setting them on fire. The actions led to his decision to leave his post in January, after nearly two months in Gaza.

War crimes are not limited to looting and arson, but also include the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians, including minors.

According to Yotam Vilk, an officer in the armored corps, the military’s instructions were to shoot anyone who was not allowed to enter the Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza.

He witnessed at least 12 people being shot and killed, with the image of Israeli forces killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager particularly etched in his mind.

“He died as part of a bigger story. As part of a policy to stay there and not see Palestinians as human beings,” Vilk said. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)