Investigation Finds Allegations Against IDF Soldiers in Gaza Are False

March 30, 2009 – 1:26 pm

In the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, the IDF has undertaken comprehensive investigations of its activities. Today (Monday March 30th), the army concluded one such investigation into claims made by graduates of the Rabin Military Preparation Center at a recent conference.

The Military Police investigation concluded that the allegations were categorically false and based on hearsay. The investigation found that the stories told by the soldiers were purposely exaggerated and made extreme, in order to make a point with the participants of the conference.

  • The soldier who claimed to have been given orders to fire at an elderly woman admitted that he heard about the incident from two people who themselves had just heard a rumour. The army probe found that the shots were actually fired at a female suicide bomber.
  • This same soldier admitted that he had not actually witnessed the additional disrespectful and immoral incidents he had described during the conference.
  • Another soldier who had said that a woman and two children had been shot at by IDF troops admitted to not being a witness to the incident. According to soldiers who were there, the shots were fired in a completely different direction targeting two suspicious men in the area.
  • During the Military Police investigation into the claims made at the Rabin Military Preparation Centre, two additional allegations arose regarding improper conduct in Gaza. Based on a debriefing which occurred close to the time of one of the incidents and upon further inquiry by the Military Police, the investigation found that these incidents did not raise suspicion of unjustified opening of fire.
  • During these investigations, the participants at the Rabin Center said that they had based their claims relating to the use of phosphorous munitions on what they had heard in the media and not on their personal knowledge.

The IDF Advocate-General Brig.-Gen. Avihai Mandelblit decided to close the case in the wake of these findings.

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