An Israeli first sergeant entered Gaza in October 2023 with orders to protect his soldiers and survive, not to seek revenge. He reports acting mechanically and later concluded the operative aim shifted toward displacing Gazan civilians and destroying Gazan society. He describes orders and tactics that included using Palestinians as human shields and forcing population movements. His identity is concealed and his testimony was provided through the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence. A record number of military personnel have come forward with similar ethical objections. The soldier served in the Nahal Brigade focusing on northern Gaza during mass southward evacuations in spring 2024.
Protect my soldiers and get out of there alive, he said in an interview with this newspaper months later. I didn't go in with a sense of revenge. In reality, I acted almost mechanically. The government sent us to protect the Israelis and recover our hostages, but now I realize that the mission was actually something else, says the 23-year-old first sergeant.
Our superiors aren't thinking about the Israeli captives or the Palestinian civilians, but rather about displacing the population and destroying Gazan society. Elie's name is not Elie. Protecting his identity and not providing details about his mission in Gaza that could help identify him is one of the prerequisites for this interview, facilitated by the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence, formed by military personnel who have decided to speak out about the abuses they believe the Israeli army is committing in the occupied Palestinian territories.
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