The political debacle prompted by the confession of Israeli military personnel about their conduct in Gaza has forced the launch of a probe.With Israeli armed forces having themselves confessed to the wanton killing of civilians as well as immoral behavior in the Gaza Strip and the issue spilling into politics, the Israeli military has been forced to take action.
Military Advocate General Brig. Gen. Avichai Mendelblit on Thursday ordered the
Military Police Investigation unit to launch a probe into the testimony of Israeli veterans of the three-week war.Israeli soldiers have confessed that they knowingly relaxed the rules of engagement and hastily killed Palestinian civilians and destroyed civilian property as they were confident that they had the full protection of echelons in Tel Aviv.
The head of a special military course, Danny Zamir, told the Haaretz daily that he was "shocked" by the confessions and relayed the reports to higher authorities because he feared serious ethical lapses among troops.
"Those were very harsh testimonies about unjustified shooting of civilians and destruction of property that conveyed an atmosphere in which one feels entitled to use unrestricted force against Palestinians," Zamir told public radio.
The issue has become intensely political as Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has expressed confidence that the Israeli army is the most "moral" one in the world."We have the most moral army in the world," Barak told Israel Radio. "The most moral army in the world stands ready to take orders from the government of Israel.
I have no doubt that every incident will be individually examined." Israeli human rights groups have also touched on the issues surrounding Israeli war crimes and criminal conduct.
Courtesy: Haaretz
Courtesy: Haaretz
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