Haaretz publishes soldiers' testimonies from Gaza

Today both Haaretz and the Israeli news portal Ynet carries the news story on the emerging testimonies of Israeli soldiers in combat during the Gaza massacre. Haaretz has promised further testimonies will be published in days to come.

Read today's articles here and here.

Some excerpts;

From the Ynet article:

The NCO [Non-Commissioned Officer] also related a story about an old woman who was crossing a main route who was shot by the soldiers. "I don't know whether she was suspicious, not suspicious, I don't know her story... I do know that my officer sent people to the roof in order to take her out... It was cold-blooded murder."

Another NCO told of an incident in which a family was killed. "We had taken over the house... and the family was released and told to go right. A mother and two children got confused and went left... The sniper on the roof wasn't told that this was okay and that he shouldn't shoot... you can say he just did what he was told... he was told not to let anyone approach the left flank and he shot at them."

"I don't know whether he first shot at their feet or not (per IDF engagement instructions), but he killed them," the NCO said.

From Haaretz:

"The squad leader said he argued with his commander over the permissive rules of engagement that allowed the clearing out of houses by shooting without warning the residents beforehand. After the orders were changed, the squad leader's soldiers complained that "we should kill everyone there [in the center of Gaza]. Everyone there is a terrorist."

The squad leader said: "You do not get the impression from the officers that there is any logic to it, but they won't say anything. To write 'death to the Arabs' on the walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can. I think this is the main thing: To understand how much the IDF has fallen in the realm of ethics, really. It's what I'll remember the most.""

Article: Israeli groups demand independent enquiry into war crimes allegations

Blogs: Röda Malmö, Henric A, PGS, Tommy, Annalisa, QoL, Rolling

Also, another reminder of how the Israeli state functions; house of family of caterpillar-driver erased. When IOF soldiers kill civilians in Gaza, are there any calls to make their families homeless?