Former Israeli soldier allegedly recounts prolonged physical abuse, injury, and degradation inflicted upon Palestinians.
In a series of reports collected by the Israeli NGO, Breaking the Silence, active soldiers have raised concerns about human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The organisation, which has been documenting such issues since the start of the Gaza war, focuses on exposing ongoing violations related to occupation and conflict.
According to Joel Carmel, a spokesman for Breaking the Silence and a former Israeli soldier, the reports detail several key issues, including the use of excessive force, torture and ill-treatment in detention facilities, collective punishment, and violations of Palestinian civilians' rights under occupation.
One such instance of mistreatment is reported in the military prison Sde Teiman. Soldiers' testimonies suggest that torture occurred with tacit knowledge of officials, indicating systemic abuses. Accounts of targeted killings and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners have also been reported to Breaking the Silence.
Carmel criticizes a strategy that prioritizes military escalation over negotiations, and discusses the role of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the context of the ongoing war. He advocates for the clarification of war crimes and the end of violence in the Palestinian territories, despite increasing pressure.
Breaking the Silence's testimonies frequently echo Palestinian accounts of rights abuses, emphasizing issues like unlawful arrests, harsh interrogation methods, and restrictions severely affecting daily life and humanitarian conditions. The organisation calls for accountability and adherence to human rights and rule of law standards.
[1] Breaking the Silence website: https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/en/ [2] Haaretz article: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-breaking-the-silence-soldiers-tell-of-gaza-war-abuses-1.5465088 [3] The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/08/israeli-soldiers-speak-out-about-torture-and-abuse-of-palestinians [4] The New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/world/middleeast/israeli-soldiers-tell-of-abuses-in-gaza-war.html [5] Amnesty International report: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde20/003/2015/en/
- Breaking the Silence's reports, regarding war-and-conflicts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, also cover issues in politics, such as criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategies and the advocacy for ending violence in the Palestinian territories.
- Alongside general-news and crime-and-justice reports, Breaking the Silence's focus on war-and-conflicts includes accounts of human rights violations, specifically the use of excessive force, torture, and ill-treatment in detention facilities, collective punishment, and violation of Palestinian civilians' rights under occupation.
