Israel indicts only three soldiers after two years of genocide in Palestine
The largely cosmetic indictments raise concerns of enormous impunity despite extensive evidence of genocidal campaign
TEL AVIV, Israel (MNTV) — Israel’s military justice system has produced only three criminal indictments related to abuses in Gaza during the first two years of genocide, despite thousands of documented genocidal operations against Palestinian civilians, according to internal data obtained through freedom-of-information requests and reviewed by Drop Site.
The figures, released via the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, show that investigations rarely progress beyond preliminary review, with most complaints stalled indefinitely inside the army’s Fact-Finding Assessment (FFA) mechanism and only one resulting in a conviction.
Data reviewed by Drop Site reveals that more than 1,400 “exceptional incidents” were submitted for examination, yet the overwhelming majority remain unresolved.
Rights organizations say the process is designed to dilute accountability, with early-stage testimonies gathered informally—rendering them unusable in court—while criminal investigations are delayed until evidence is weakened or impossible to pursue.
By August 2024, the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division had opened only 60 investigations and completed just a dozen.
The sole conviction so far involved a reservist sentenced to seven months for assaulting blindfolded Palestinian detainees at the Sde Teiman military detention center.
Two further indictments—one for looting and another involving five soldiers accused of torturing a detainee—were filed in early 2025. Yesh Din noted that these cases usually surface only through accidental triggers, such as when the looting suspect attempted to deposit counterfeit bills in a bank, prompting an inquiry.
The limited prosecutions stand in stark contrast to the breadth of available evidence. More than 2,500 videos and images posted by Israeli soldiers on social media appear to document abuses, including beatings, unlawful shootings, destruction of property, and degrading acts toward detainees. None have resulted in meaningful criminal charges.
Major military operations—airstrikes that leveled residential districts, attacks on hospitals, and blockades restricting food and medical supplies—are excluded entirely from review while justifying them as lawful targets.
Human rights groups say the system’s opacity is deliberate. Information disclosures frequently take up to a year and arrive incomplete. Yesh Din emphasizes that the military typically releases data only after court orders or sustained legal pressure.
Leaked documents obtained by DDOSecrets and examined by Drop Site indicate that Israeli officials view the mere appearance of investigations—not their outcomes—as strategically useful.
By keeping cases technically “under review,” Israel reinforces its claim that international courts lack jurisdiction, even if no prosecutions ever materialize.
A May 2024 Yesh Din analysis of three previous Gaza conflicts found that most cases were closed without investigation and only one indictment was issued across a ten-year period.
Recent political reactions highlight mounting resistance to accountability: when soldiers were charged in a high-profile torture case linked to Sde Teiman, protests erupted and the Military Advocate General resigned following intense pressure.
Rights advocates warn that the system is now evolving from one that produces de facto impunity to one aiming to cement it legislatively. Proposed parliamentary measures seek to expand protections for soldiers, further restricting the possibility of prosecution.
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