"The Guardian discusses the 'impunity system' in place for Israeli military personnel"
The Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) has released a report indicating that the majority of war crime cases against Israeli army soldiers remain unresolved or are closed without any consequences. The report covers incidents from the Gaza conflict between 2023 and 2025.
According to the AOAV, nearly 90% of cases have been either closed without results or remain unresolved. This includes cases involving the killing of over 100 Palestinians waiting in line for flour, an airstrike that killed 45 people in Rafah, and a June 2024 incident where Israeli soldiers allegedly shot civilians heading to food distribution.
AOAV researchers characterize this trend as a "pattern of impunity," suggesting Israel shelters its soldiers by failing to hold them accountable through its own military justice system. The Israeli military claims it investigates "exceptional incidents" following domestic and international law but rarely prosecutes or finds fault in these investigations.
The report also mentions that only one case resulted in a prison sentence for a soldier, while the rest were discontinued or closed. In five other cases, violations were established, and accountability was imposed, such as dismissals.
It is important to note that the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) states that any report of "inappropriate actions by military personnel" undergoes "initial review, regardless of the source" to determine if there are "reasonable suspicions of a criminal offense".
Regarding the current status of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Galant, the search results do not provide updated or specific information on ICC proceedings targeting these officials as of August 2025. The recent reports focus on the domestic handling of war crime cases by the Israeli military rather than international legal actions or ICC investigations against senior Israeli political or military leaders.
In summary, the AOAV report raises concerns about the lack of accountability for war crimes committed by Israeli army soldiers, with most cases closing without charges due to internal investigations that rarely find wrongdoing. The status of the ICC's investigation against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Galant remains unclear.
The AOAV report highlights the pattern of impunity in Israel's military justice system, as most cases of war crimes remain unresolved or closed without consequences, including incidents such as the killing of 100 Palestinians waiting for flour and the Rafah airstrike. General news and politics involving Israel continue to focus on the domestic handling of war crimes, with little progress reported in the International Criminal Court's investigation against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Galant.
