Hamas calls on ICC to investigate ‘monstrous behaviour’ of Israeli soldiers
Hamas has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to “urgently investigate the monstrous behaviour” of Israeli soldiers that it says has been encouraged by Israeli army leaders.
It referred to “documented” images and videos that showcase Israeli soldiers committing the “most brutal crimes against Palestinians, including shooting civilians and burning down homes”.
Their actions, Hamas said, are carried out for their “own entertainment” and target women, children, and the elderly. These actions are a “disgrace on the face of humanity and the international community”, and should be looked into by the ICC’s chief prosecutor, the group added.
‘Everything is permitted’: Israeli soldiers attack Palestinians indiscriminately
Oren Ziv, a journalist at +972 Magazine, interviewed six Israeli soldiers who described being authorised to open fire on Palestinians indiscriminately.
Soldiers from six different units who were in Gaza at different times, said they executed Palestinians who strayed into “no-go zones”, and that there were “no limits” to what and whom they can shoot.
“What we learned is the open-fire regulation was not very strict, they didn’t even get proper orders from their commanders,” Ziv told Al Jazeera. “They could fire almost at everything”, including schools, hospitals, as well as public institutions. Some required pre-approvals which were always granted, Ziv said.
Some testified they were shooting “out of being bored, or just for fun”, he said. “The general feeling the soldier described is, that there was a big sense after the October 7 attack of revenge … they told us everything is permitted.”
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