The soldier added that the arbitrary killings are part of what he said is a prevailing belief among Israeli troops that there are no innocent civilians in the war in Gaza, which began after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage.
Since then, Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 people and seriously injured thousands more, according to health officials in the enclave.
“People don’t feel mercy for them,” the reservist said, adding that his comrades openly discussed the killings and that there was a widely held belief among them that Palestinians had not tried to prevent the Hamas attack.
The soldier told Sky News that he was speaking out because he felt like he “took part in something bad,” and that he believed Palestinian civilians were “just poor people, civilians that don’t really have too many choices.”
The war in Gaza “needs to be over,” he added.
It is rare for an Israeli military service member to publicly criticize the IDF in a country where military service is mandatory for all citizens over the age of 18. Those who speak out publicly risk being ostracized.
In a statement to NBC News and to Sky News after being asked about the allegations of arbitrary killings, the IDF said it was operating in strict accordance with the rules of engagement and international law, and taking feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.
“Any claim that there is a ‘widespread perception’ that views all residents of the Gaza Strip as enemies does not reflect values of the IDF or the operational directives given to the forces,” the statement added.
“The IDF operates against military targets and objectives, and does not target civilians or civilian objects,” the military said, adding that Israeli authorities were examining any reports and complaints of any violations under international law.
The report comes after at least 80 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza on Sunday, according to Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, the director of the enclave’s field hospitals. He added that the number was likely to increase because of the ongoing shelling and airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
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