Action can be taken against soldiers who cross the “criminal threshold” by using unjustified force or looting.
The Israeli military’s top lawyer has issued an unprecedented warning to troops against “inappropriate conduct” in Gaza, which includes the unjustified use of force and looting, among other “criminal” actions.
Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the army’s general counsel, issued a warning in a letter Wednesday, as reported by the Haaretz newspaper, saying it was “difficult to exaggerate” the “seriousness” of the actions of soldiers for almost five months. of the war.
Their actions include “inappropriate statements that encourage unacceptable actions,” “unjustified use of force,” “destruction of civilian property,” and “looting,” according to Tomer-Yerushalmi, which were in “violation of orders” and had crossed the “criminal threshold”.
Titled Fight and Victory According to Law, the letter emphasized that the soldiers’ actions “deviate from disciplinary orders and boundaries” and do not correspond to military values, ultimately causing “strategic damage” to Israel on the international stage.
Tomer-Yerushalmi reported that several cases were being investigated, after which the Military Advocate General Corps would decide whether criminal or disciplinary measures should be taken.
“These actions and statements, by individuals who do not represent the collective, are contrary to (the Israeli army) as a professional, moral and dignified army, and they have no place in (the (Israeli Army),” she said. wrote.
Last month, a United Nations human rights official called for an end to the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, who have been subjected to weeks of imprisonment in prisons. secrets, physical violence and humiliation.
Several videos shared by the Israeli army since the start of the war show hundreds of Palestinian men undressed, sitting outside in the cold, sometimes blindfolded. In a few videos, women and children were also seen.
Soldiers also filmed themselves mocking Palestinians and posted videos on social media as they continued their offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians since the current conflict began on October 7.
Other soldiers have posted videos of themselves robbing Palestinian homes in Gaza, with the government media office in the enclave claiming this month that at least $25 million in cash, gold and valuables had been looted during the first three months of the war.
Conduct of war
The letter comes amid growing international pressure on Israel following an all-out offensive that devastated the Gaza Strip. In recent weeks, several countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Spain and Ireland, have warned Israel to halt plans for a ground offensive in the border town of Rafah, where currently sheltering around 1.4 million Palestinians.
South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in December, alleging it was carrying out genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The judges failed to secure a ceasefire ruling, but ordered Israel to do everything possible to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s comments come a day after Herzi Halevi, Israeli army chief of staff, emphasized values in waging war in a letter to army commanders , asserting that the army was not “in a killing frenzy”, “was not acting on instinct”. revenge or genocide in Gaza.
“We behave like human beings and unlike our enemies, we maintain our humanity. We must be careful not to use force where it is not necessary, to distinguish between terrorists and non-combatants, not to take anything that does not belong to us – souvenirs or weapons, and not to filming revenge videos,” he said.
