Israeli Intelligence Soldiers Admit Targeting Inhabited Gaza Buildings
Soldiers from the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate admit receiving orders to bomb inhabited buildings in Gaza without evacuating civilians.
Four soldiers from the Military Intelligence Directorate of the Israeli Army admitted to receiving orders to bomb inhabited buildings in the Gaza Strip without evacuating residents. In testimonies published by Haaretz, the soldiers described a shift in military policy that relaxed restrictions on targeting non-combatant civilians, treating them as collateral damage to justify the use of heavy weaponry against minor targets.
One specific strike on October 31, 2023, in the Jabalia refugee camp reportedly killed approximately 250 Palestinian civilians. The soldiers stated that military intelligence estimates had predicted between 250 and 300 civilian casualties for that mission, which required direct approval from the Chief of Staff.
The report suggests these policies were an attempt to compensate for the intelligence failure of October 7, 2023, by maximizing the scope of fire regardless of the civilian cost.
