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| Israeli soldiers in Gaza | Photo: AFP |
Yotam Vilk, an Israeli army officer, can never forget the scene of the killing of an unarmed Palestinian teenager by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
According to Vilk, anyone who enters the Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza without authorization is ordered to be shot. He has seen at least 12 people killed in this way. But the scene of the teenager's murder still haunts him.
Israeli soldiers are among those speaking out against the 15-month war in Gaza. Vilk is one of them.
These Israeli soldiers have already refused to continue fighting in Gaza, citing what they say are moral violations.
Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire deal on Wednesday, which will take effect next Sunday.
However, even before this progress, some Israeli soldiers began to take action to stop the fighting. For example, a letter signed by about 200 Israeli soldiers stated that they would stop fighting if the government did not reach a ceasefire. This was referred to as the "starting point".
Seven Israeli soldiers who refused to continue fighting in Gaza spoke to the Associated Press, describing how Palestinians were being indiscriminately killed and their homes destroyed.
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| Yotam Vilk, one of the Israeli soldiers who spoke out against the war in Gaza | Photo: AP |
Some soldiers said they were told to burn and demolish houses that were not really a threat. They saw soldiers looting and vandalizing houses.
Israeli soldiers are required to stay out of politics. They generally do not speak out against the military. On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian independence militant group Hamas attacked Israel. Israel was united in quickly launching a war against the organization.
But as time went on, more and more disagreements emerged. But most of the criticism was about the rising number of soldiers killed and the failure to return the hostages home. Not about taking action against Gaza.
International human rights organizations have accused Israel of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice is investigating South Africa's genocide allegations against Israel.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country's former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Israel has strongly denied accusations of genocide, claiming it has taken special measures to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza.
The Israeli military says it has never deliberately targeted civilians. Any suspected wrongdoing is investigated and punished.
However, human rights organizations have long said that the Israeli army is investigating these matters itself, which is unacceptable.
The Israeli military told the AP that it condemns the refusal of soldiers to perform their duties. The army takes any refusal to perform their duties seriously. Each incident is investigated on an individual basis.
Soldiers could face jail if they refuse to carry out their duties. However, organizers of the petition say that no soldiers who signed the letter have been detained or arrested so far.
Soldiers' reaction
Vilk entered Gaza in November 2023. The Israeli army officer said he initially thought that force would be used to bring the two sides to the negotiating table. But as the war dragged on, he began to see how worthless human life was.
Vilk said the Palestinian teenager was killed in August last year. That day, Israeli soldiers told the teenager to stop. He was shot in the leg as a warning. But the teenager did not stop. Others walking towards the buffer zone of the Netzarim Corridor were also shot.
The Netzarim Corridor is the road that divides northern and southern Gaza. Vilk admits that it is difficult to determine whether people have weapons. But he believes that Israeli forces act much more quickly.
Vilk also said Hamas was responsible for some of the deaths in the buffer zone. He said he had heard from a Palestinian citizen who was detained by his army unit that Hamas used to pay people $25 to enter the corridor, as a way of testing the Israeli military's response.
Some Israeli soldiers told the AP that it would take them time to digest what they saw in the Gaza Strip. Others said they were so outraged that they decided to immediately stop work.
Yuval Green, a former Israeli army medic, said he resigned in January last year after spending about two months in Gaza. He made the decision because he could not accept what he was seeing on the battlefield.
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| Israeli medic Yuval Green says he resigned because he could not accept what he was seeing on the battlefield in Gaza | Photo: AP |
Greene mentioned another incident. He said his commander ordered soldiers to burn down a house, saying he didn't want Hamas to use it.
Green said he was sitting in a military vehicle that day. He was choking on the smell of burning plastic. According to him, the fire was set in retaliation. Because, he believes, the Palestinians have already lost too much. There is nothing more to be taken from them. Green resigned from his duties before their work was completed.
What the angry soldiers did
The group of soldiers who signed the letter calling for an end to the fighting in Gaza called "Soldiers for the Hostages," held an event in Tel Aviv this month, where they collected more signatures.
At the event, the soldiers talked about what they had seen in Gaza. Organizers distributed poster-sized stickers with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. The quote is, "It is a moral duty to disobey unjust laws."
"We need to raise our voices to speak out against injustice, even if we don't get public support," said organizer Max Kresch.
However, some Israeli soldiers who lost colleagues in combat described the program as a slap in the face. According to Israeli military estimates, more than 830 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the war.
Gilad Segal, a 42-year-old Israeli paratrooper who spent two months in Gaza in late 2023, says everything the Israeli military has done, including destroying Hamas hideouts, was necessary. He says it's not the military's job to agree or disagree with the government.
Yishay Mnuchin, a spokesman for Yesh Gavul, a platform for Israeli soldiers who do not want to fight in Gaza, said he is working with more than 80 soldiers who do not want to fight. There are hundreds more who think the same way. But they are silent.
Impact on the troops
Some of the Israeli soldiers who spoke to the AP said they were feeling remorseful. They were in conflict, trying to calm themselves by talking to friends and relatives about what they had seen.
Trauma therapy expert Tully Flint says many service members have suffered "moral trauma." Hundreds of mentally disturbed service members have sought her advice.
"This is what happens when people do or see things that are beyond their beliefs," Flint said. "It can disrupt sleep. The painful images can keep coming back to haunt them. The person can feel unworthy."
Flint believes that by talking about these things and trying to make changes, the sufferer can overcome the problem.
A former infantryman told the AP he was racked with guilt after witnessing the needlessly burning of about 15 homes in late 2023.
"I didn't light the match, but I stood guard in front of the house. I became involved in a war crime," the former soldier said.
The former Israeli soldier, who did not give his name out of fear of reprisals, said: "I am sorry for what we did."