What is happening in Gaza stands as a raw revelation, laid bare by those directly involved
The Voices of IDF Veterans: Breaking the Silence on Occupation Crimes
Breaking the Silence (1), a coalition of over 2,000 Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) veterans, takes the courageous step of exposing the harsh realities of daily life in the Occupied Territories and the war crimes committed under Israel’s occupation.
These soldiers, who have served since the Second Intifada, aim to spark public discourse about the human cost of a system in which young soldiers control the civilian lives of millions.
Their mission is clear: to end the occupation and bring accountability. Here are their voices (2).
Sources:
(1) https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/
(2)https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/testimonies/videos
From Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper
Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, frequently publishes investigative reports that Western media often shy away from.
Its articles, which pass through stringent military censorship, have unveiled disturbing truths, including the chaos and lawlessness among soldiers in Gaza.
In one editorial, Haaretz condemned the “unbridled lawlessness” and numerous incidents amounting to war crimes, pointing to the dehumanization and moral collapse among some IDF soldiers. “Our investigative report paints a shocking picture of unbridled lawlessness on the part of some of the soldiers, numerous incidents that can’t be termed anything other than war crimes, and some indicate a loss of the soldiers’ humanity”
"When you enter Gaza, you are God": Inside the minds of IDF soldiers who commit war crimes
Prof. Yoel Elizur is an Associate Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Chairperson, Israeli Council of Psychologists (2010-2013).
He is a psychologist for Rear Rehabilitation Centres. He describes his concerns as a psychologist in Haaretz.
As a psychologist addressing military brutality, he sees how the government-fueled rhetoric of hatred intensifies the problem. “Concern for family members serving in the army is deeply ingrained in Israeli family life. Like many of my peers, I was a worried father when my children served in the Israel Defence Forces, and now, as a grandfather, my concerns have only grown. The mass killing of civilians in Gaza horrifies me, and I am deeply troubled by the toll this brutality takes on the mental health of soldiers. Our soldiers are endangered not only by the violence itself but also by the government’s inflammatory rhetoric and the erosion of civilian and military justice systems. These policies profoundly undermine the IDF’s code of conduct and the ethical standards it strives to uphold.“
One soldier, “X shot an Arab four times in the back and got away with a self-defence claim. Four bullets in the back from a distance of ten meters… cold-blooded murder. We did things like that every day.”
IDF troops found the power in the army to be intoxicating: “It’s like a drug… you feel like you are the law; you make the rules. As if from the moment you leave the place called Israel and enter the Gaza Strip, you are God.”
Camp Torture and Rampant Lawlessness in Gaza: Ofer Camp, Sde Teiman, and the Netzarim Corridor
Accounts from detainees at places like Ofer Detention Camp, Sde Teiman, and Gaza’s Netzarim corridor further illustrate this systemic brutality.
In Ofer, Palestinians describe beatings, electric shocks, and psychological torment. Prisoners endure overcrowding, shackling, and denial of basic needs, with no charges or trials to justify their suffering. Read the full investigation by Oren Ziv.
“My oldest brother was arrested at an Israeli army checkpoint in August 2023, when he was on his way home from work, and has been in Ofer Detention Camp without charges or trial ever since. His wife gave birth to their baby while he was in prison, and to this day, he doesn’t even know the baby’s gender or name. Since October 7, 2023, all communication has been cut off, visits are banned, and the only updates we receive about him are through cellmates who are released.
Ofer Detention Camp is where my oldest brother is imprisoned and held under administrative detention without charges or trial—a cruelty in itself. I recently received the devastating news that he has lost half of his weight and has been subjected to brutal torture. This is the grim reality faced by countless Palestinian families, living with the unbearable torment of knowing their loved ones are held as hostages—dehumanized, brutalized, and stripped of dignity in Israeli prisons—while we are unable to do anything to ease their suffering.” Ihab Hassane
IDF soldiers who served in Gaza tell Haaretz that anyone who crosses an imaginary line in the Gaza’s Netzarim corridor is shot to death, with every Palestinian casualty counting as a terrorist—even if they were just a child. “This is unprecedented—conducting war with everyone doing whatever they want in their sector. Operations launched without proper orders or procedures.”
The B'Tselem report: "Unleashed"
The human rights organization B’Tselem (https://www.btselem.org/) adds another layer to this grim narrative, documenting increased violence in Hebron, where the abuse of innocent Palestinians serves as a tool of domination. Random arrests, physical and psychological torture, and public humiliation highlight a deliberate dehumanization process.
These testimonies are not isolated. They represent a broader system of control and violence perpetuated under the guise of national security, eroding the humanity of both the occupied and the occupiers. They demand a reckoning with truth and justice. Read the report “Unleashed” here.
Or here: https://www.btselem.org/publications/202412_unleashed
Latest Reports
UN Special Committee on Israeli practices in occupied territories concludes field mission.
Condemning the horrific war crimes that took place on 7 October 2023, the Committee also held equal condemnation for the Israeli State reaction. “The violent assault on Gaza has been indiscriminate, disproportionate, and callous in nature, cutting off life-essential resources to subjugate, dehumanize and collectively punish the Palestinian civilian population
“Multiple stakeholders reported a stark increase in sexual harassment, sexual abuse, the threat of rape, and rape itself, including with foreign objects, against men, women, and even children, and intimidation through the use of dogs by Israeli security forces”
Here.: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/un-special-committee-israeli-practices-occupied-territories-concludes-field
The long human tragedy of the Nakba and Israel’s settler colonial genocide – UN expert
“Time is running out. A genocide and a man-made humanitarian catastrophe are unfolding in front of us and in Gaza. I regret to see so many member states are avoiding acknowledging the suffering of the Palestinian people and instead look away”
Here: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/long-human-tragedy-nakba-and-israels-settler-colonial-genocide-un-expert
Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, and Medecins Sans Frontieres are all agreed. But the Gaza genocide is now just another routine news item, buried on the inside pages.
“Genocides can happen with gas chambers. Or with machetes. Or they can be carried out with 2,000lb bombs and aid blockades. Genocides rarely look the same. But they are all designed to arrive at the same endpoint: the elimination of a people.”
Here: https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/gaza-israel-another-expert-report-committing-genocide-west-yawns
