An Israeli NGO has accused Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers of having fired indiscriminately during the escalation in violence in Gaza last year, in a "drastic change" in policy, reports the FT.
The NGO, Breaking the Silence, published a report on Monday detailing findings following interviews of over 60 IDF soldiers who were deployed during the conflict, known as 'Operation Protective Edge'.
“The soldiers were briefed by their commanders to fire at every person they identified in a combat zone, since the working assumption was that every person in the field was an enemy,” the report said.
One first sergeant was quoted as saying: “The instructions are to shoot right away, whoever you spot — be they armed or unarmed, no matter what."
“The instructions are very clear: any person you run into, that you see with your eyes, shoot to kill.”
Another told the NGO: “The rules of engagement are pretty identical: Anything inside [Gaza] is a threat, the area has to be ‘sterilised’, empty of people — and if we don’t see anyone waving a white flag, screaming ‘I give up’ or something — then he’s a threat and there’s authorisation to open fire.”
See more here by FT.
The NGO, Breaking the Silence, published a report on Monday detailing findings following interviews of over 60 IDF soldiers who were deployed during the conflict, known as 'Operation Protective Edge'.
“The soldiers were briefed by their commanders to fire at every person they identified in a combat zone, since the working assumption was that every person in the field was an enemy,” the report said.
One first sergeant was quoted as saying: “The instructions are to shoot right away, whoever you spot — be they armed or unarmed, no matter what."
“The instructions are very clear: any person you run into, that you see with your eyes, shoot to kill.”
Another told the NGO: “The rules of engagement are pretty identical: Anything inside [Gaza] is a threat, the area has to be ‘sterilised’, empty of people — and if we don’t see anyone waving a white flag, screaming ‘I give up’ or something — then he’s a threat and there’s authorisation to open fire.”
See more here by FT.