Thread by @BtSIsrael

"The forces in the field call it 'the line of dead bodies'" a commander in Division 252 told @yanivkub of @haaretzcom. The line he’s describing is invisible, constantly shifting, and for any Gazans north of the Netzarim corridor, it’s the very border separating life from death.🧵

In a chilling collection of testimonies, soldiers detail the everyday realities of an IDF “kill zone,” north of the IDF corridor which bisected Gaza. Unarmed civilians posthumously labeled as terrorists by the hundreds, all while restrictions on shooting are near nonexistent.
haaretz.com/israel-news/20…

One soldier describes an occasion where a teenager who crossed into the kill zone was shot dozens of times, and how his battalion commander justified killing him:

“The commander said: ‘Anyone crossing the line is a terrorist, no exceptions, no civilians. Everyone's a terrorist'"

The "kill zone" border shifted constantly – "500m here today, 500m there tomorrow," says one fighter. Another said it “extends as far as a sniper can see.”

"Anyone approaching whatever line was decided at that moment is considered a threat – no permission needed to shoot."

One reservist described a case in which an IDF helicopter fired a missile at an unarmed adult and two children who had crossed this ever-changing border.

"We had them under complete surveillance with the drone and weapons aimed at them – they couldn't do anything," he said.

Another testimony about massive firepower hitting civilians, also shows the cruel effects of this “terrorist until proven civilian” narrative on Gazans who survive such events.

But we also know many were deemed “civilian” during their interrogations, and weren’t quickly let go

Even the cases in which civilians are spared can be telling. In one case, 2 people were walking with raised hands and a white flag in a restricted area. The commander who protested the initial order to shoot to kill, saving 2 civilian lives, was “berated as a coward.”

Soldiers described the vicious cycle caused by the IDF falsely claiming dead civilians are terrorists. Units hear the IDF say 200 militants were killed - even though only 10 of those killed were confirmed as militants - then start competing over who can reach a higher number.

The IDF has massively expanded the powers of lower-ranking commanders. The IDF Chief of Staff no longer needs to approve airstrikes, giving division commanders near-unlimited firepower authority. So the personal opinions of division commanders “became operational doctrine.”

These are our fathers, sons, sisters, neighbors. We owe it to them and to ourselves to listen to them when they speak out against what they were sent into Gaza to do in our names.
To the soldiers we say: speak about what you've seen and done. With family, with the media, with us.

"... for over a year, we've operated in a lawless space where human life holds no value. Yes, we commanders and combatants are participating in the atrocity unfolding in Gaza. Now everyone must face this reality."

If you’ve served in the oPt and would like to testify, contact us: [e-mail]