World · Middle East · 2 hrs ago
Israeli soldiers describe civilian deaths and broad attack orders in Gaza
Ten Israeli soldiers described civilians being killed in Gaza and, in some cases, recorded as terrorists, in accounts published by Der Spiegel.
The soldiers spoke about operations during Israel’s war in Gaza, including in central Gaza and Khan Younis.
One reservist said his brigade killed 160 to 170 people, while only one was suspected of carrying a weapon; he said all the dead were reported as terrorists.
Separate accounts published by Haaretz describe an attack targeting Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari, in which Haaretz reported 126 people were killed, including 68 children.
A soldier involved said intelligence estimates had put possible civilian deaths at 250 to 300, and that buildings were struck without an evacuation because the military wanted to kill Biari before he could escape.
Soldiers said civilian deaths were accepted as collateral damage in some operations, and Breaking the Silence said army rules allowed up to 20 civilian deaths for each person classified as a Hamas member.
The Israeli military denies using this approach, according to n-tv; the accounts add to allegations of war crimes and are intended to make the public aware of how the war was conducted.
Ten Israeli soldiers described killing unarmed Palestinians and recording some of the dead as terrorists in accounts published by Der Spiegel.
The soldiers also described broad attack orders and policies that accepted high civilian casualties.
One reservist said his brigade killed 160 to 170 people during more than 80 days in Gaza, and only one was suspected of carrying a weapon.
A separate report described an attack on Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari in which 126 people were reported killed, including 68 children.
The Israeli military denied the alleged practice of approving high civilian casualty figures as collateral damage.
- Who
- Ten Israeli soldiers gave accounts of their experiences in Gaza. Other testimony was reported by Haaretz and Breaking the Silence.
- What
- Soldiers described civilian deaths, broad attack orders and cases in which the dead were recorded as terrorists.
- When
- The accounts were published over the weekend before 12 October 2026. The reports appeared on 12 and 13 October 2026.
- Where
- The reported incidents took place in the Gaza Strip, including central Gaza and Khan Younis.
- Why
- One soldier said the accounts were shared so Israelis and the world could learn about the reality of the military’s conduct. Soldiers also described revenge as a motive in some actions.
Israeli soldiers and Breaking the Silence
Israeli military
Alleged attack practices
Israeli soldiers and Breaking the Silence
Soldiers described orders and operations that accepted civilian deaths, including attacks on people they said were unarmed.
Israeli military
The military denied that it used the alleged practice of approving high civilian casualty figures as collateral damage.
Recording the dead
Israeli soldiers and Breaking the Silence
Soldiers said Palestinians were recorded as terrorists even when they had not checked whether the dead were armed or linked to Hamas.
Israeli military
Not stated.
The Israeli military reportedly allowed up to 20 civilian deaths as collateral damage for each person classified as a Hamas member.
An Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis killed 22 people, including five journalists, according to Middle East Eye.
n-tv reported testimony about Israeli military operations and the military’s denial of the alleged collateral-damage policy.
Middle East Eye reported accounts from ten Israeli soldiers published by Der Spiegel.
- Soldiers interviewed
- 10
- Yaakov’s reported brigade death toll
- 160 to 170 people during more than 80 days
- Biari attack deaths
- 126 people, including 68 children
- Reported collateral-damage allowance
- Up to 20 civilians per person classified as a Hamas member
- Nasser Hospital attack
- 22 people killed, including five journalists, on 25 August 2025
What people are saying
My unit killed many unarmed men.
My brigade killed 160 to 170 people during our more than 80 days there. Only one man was suspected of carrying a weapon.
Much of it served to satisfy our desire for revenge, not just military reasons.
We did not begin an evacuation because it was important to kill him before he could escape.
Posts on X
126 people, including 68 children, were killed in the strike on Jabaliya that targeted Hamas battalion commander Ibrahim Biari almost three years ago. Such an enormous death toll was not a violation of IDF procedures. In fact, even twice as many civilian deaths would not have
Sources
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