Nearly nine out of 10 Israeli military investigations into allegations of war crimes or abuses by its soldiers since the start of the war in Gaza have been closed without finding fault or left without resolution, according to a conflict monitor.
Unresolved investigations include the killing of at least 112 Palestinians queueing for flour in Gaza City in February 2024, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) said, and an airstrike that killed 45 in an inferno at a tented camp in Rafah in May 2024.
Also unresolved is an inquiry into the killing of 31 Palestinians going to pick up food at a distribution point in Rafah on 1 June.
They were killed after Israeli forces opened fire, witnesses said. Shortly after, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the reports were “false” but the IDF told the Guardian that the incident was “still under review”.
Do you expect them to prosecute themselves? I don’t even know what to say. I’m not shy of using strong language, but in this case I can’t: my English is far from good enough to describe the intellectual profile of the people who expect Israel to prosecute their soldiers.
Do you expect them to prosecute themselves?
That is sort of how it’s supposed to work, yes. That’s how it’s supposed to work in any organisation.
A person doing a bad thing that gets reported should be investigated internally. They should take appropriate action based upon that investigation. The investigator(s) should be looking to protect the organisation by rooting out the bad apples.
Unfortunately, when too much of the barrel is bad the bad apples protect each other instead of the organisation.
In this case, so much of the organisation is bad that protecting the organisation requires that the bad apples be protected and shit gets covered up.
That is sort of how it’s supposed to work, yes.
It never worked this way. Ever heard about a thief who punished himself? Or a corrupted politician who closed himself in prison?
You’re talking about some fairy-land stories with rainbow ponies where there is no evil anyway.You’re talking about some fairy-land stories with rainbow ponies where there is no evil anyway.
I realise that what I’m talking about isn’t working in the IDF but your analogies are not right.
The military isn’t one person who’s turning themself in. It’s an organisation of many people so nobody would be punishing themselves.
It’s like a cashier being caught stealing from the cash drawer. They don’t punish themselves, their employer punishes them and possibly reports them to the police for further punishment.
That’s how it’s supposed to work but isn’t in this case because the whole military is on the same page.
Still you want a thief guild to punish a thief for stealing.
What is happening is happening because it was a governmental requirement. Not some crazy soldiers decided to shoot civilians for their own amusement and by their own will.
I still hear my government (Germany) making that trope when asked about yet another attrocity committed by Israeli forces or paramilitary forces.
Pretending Israel to be a functioning state of law is instrumental to pretending these actions are not systematic and done with full support and order by the government.
It’s fucking goddamn motherfucking horse shit! Goddamns monsters.
Honestly, i’m kinda amazed that 12% weren’t closed without charges. I wonder if anyone actually got punished or if they were charged but waived.
The 12% were charged for the war crimes not being severe enough.
Punishment is to shoot more civilians
