IDF whistleblowers reveal war crimes in Gaza
New documentary presents Israeli soldier accounts of civilian killings, destruction, and human rights violations, challenging official military narratives
TEL AVIV, Israel (MNTV) — A new ITV documentary, Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, has revealed testimonies from active and former Israeli soldiers describing alleged war crimes in Gaza, including the killing of unarmed civilians, destruction of infrastructure, and acts of vandalism.
One soldier recounted shooting two teenage boys pushing a handcart, highlighting incidents where civilians were targeted without posing a clear threat.
Produced by Benjamin Zand, the hour-long film aims to examine decision-making within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and provide transparency on actions that caused significant civilian harm.
Soldiers describe using human shields, burning homes, killing paramedics, looting, and conducting drone attacks on unarmed men.
Some whistleblowers expressed remorse, while others, such as Lt. Col. B, showed little regret, citing retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
The documentary raises questions about the IDF’s professionalism and moral conduct amid accusations of potential genocide by a UN independent inquiry, which Israel denies.
ITV controller Tom Giles noted that the film illustrates growing disillusionment and shame among some soldiers, while Israeli analyst Ori Goldberg argued that most of Israeli society continues to deny individual responsibility.
Critics including Adam Levick from CAMERA-UK have questioned the film’s objectivity, but Zand emphasized that the documentary presents the soldiers’ own accounts, aiming to inform rather than politicize or sensationalize.
Whistleblowers Yuval Ben Ari and Yotam Vilk described how standard IDF rules on targeting were often ignored, leading to mass civilian casualties, including incidents where entire buildings were demolished over minimal suspicion.
The film also details widespread looting, vandalism, and the “mosquito protocol,” using Palestinian civilians as human shields to locate Hamas tunnels.
While the IDF maintains that it operates according to international law and targets militants rather than civilians, it has not issued a formal rebuttal to the claims made in the documentary.
Goldberg warned that while Israeli society largely denies wrongdoing, accumulating evidence and international scrutiny may soon compel acknowledgment of the consequences of its actions in Gaza.
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