‘My unit killed many unarmed men’: Israeli soldiers recount Gaza war crimes

Israeli soldiers have come forward with accounts detailing war crimes they committed during Israel's conflict in Gaza, revealing the killing of unarmed Palestinian civilians and the destruction of neighborhoods to prevent their return. In a series of testimonies published by Der Spiegel, ten soldiers recounted their participation in these atrocities over the weekend.

According to one infantry reservist named David, who served multiple deployments in central Gaza and Khan Younis, his unit had killed numerous unarmed men. He recalled an officer instructing him, "The Arabs must be punished. They must understand that we are taking more and more land from them, pushing them back further and further."

David noted that initially, "relatively educated, secular Israelis" carried out these war crimes. However, as the conflict intensified, "more messianic extremists arrived," he said.