Why are there so many Palestinian casualties in Gaza, so we carry out targeted attacks and have good intelligence, asks an Israeli officer, who meanwhile refuses to return there. And he is not the only one.
Just a few months ago, Yuval Green served as a military medic in Gaza – the young Israeli was mobilized almost immediately after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 last year. Now he is part of a small group of reservists who, in an open letter, refuse to return to the Gaza Strip. He made his decision after his commander ordered him to burn down the house of a Palestinian family that had been captured by his unit.
This contributes nothing to military success
„We were told upon leaving to burn down the house we were staying in. I went to the commander and asked him – why? Why should we do it? The answers I got were just not good. So I said – I am not prepared to leave numerous families without a roof, especially because it will contribute nothing to military success. The next day I left," Green told DV.
He had planned to refuse military service as a reservist even before the October 7 attack because he was against Israel's occupation of the West Bank. However, there was a shift in his thinking caused by the appalling violence of Hamas militants against unarmed civilians in Israel. But then in Gaza he was once again filled with doubts about Israel's righteousness because of the destruction and the prevailing atmosphere of revenge.
How come there are so many victims
Officer Michael Ofer Tsiv spent almost two months in a command center on the other side of the border. There he supervised the movement of units into the Gaza Strip, took care of their security and coordinated airstrikes in those areas. But after leaving headquarters, he too was filled with doubts. “When one hears about the huge number of victims, one wonders – how do you get there, we do targeted attacks and we have such good intelligence? How can there be so many dead?“.
Civ states to DV that there are no clear rules of action for the units in Gaza. “The whole system was built in such a way that you shoot first, and only then ask questions. Or no questions are asked at all, since there are none.“
It is not easy for the ex-reservist to speak openly. His family and friends support him, but some see him as a traitor. And while Green and Ziv could go to jail for refusing to serve, the IDF has so far taken no action against them.
Green told DV that one of the reasons he refused to serve was the enormous destruction in Gaza. “Destroyed buildings can be seen everywhere. Some were destroyed because terrorist infrastructure was found underneath them, or because there were tunnels or something. But Israel is definitely not making any effort to attack in a targeted manner so that the Gaza Strip remains habitable.“
Answers from Israel
The IDF rejects Green and Ziv's accusations and says it adheres to Israeli and international law. They explain that the demolition of the buildings was carried out out of necessity and with the appropriate means. And actions that are not in line with operational needs, contradict the orders and values of the army, which is why they are being investigated.
The two reservists decide to speak to the DV and in connection with the request for a peace agreement to end the war, and for the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip to be released.
„Since December, there have been clear proposals on the table saying that when the war is over and there is an armistice agreement, the hostages will be returned to Israel. And no more soldiers will die. Added to this is another very important thing: the Palestinians will stop living in this hell that now reigns in Gaza, Green explains to DV. He and Civ know they are a minority among Israeli reservists. But they hope to at least provoke a public debate.