israeA growing number of Israeli soldiers are voicing concerns over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with some refusing to serve due to ethical dilemmas they encountered.
Yotam Vilk, a 28-year-old officer in the armoured corps, is among those speaking out against the 15-month-long conflict, describing incidents that have left deep scars.
“The image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in my mind,” Vilk said.
He recounted being instructed to shoot any unauthorised individual entering an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza.
While he witnessed at least 12 deaths, the shooting of the teenager remains a haunting memory.
“He died as part of a bigger story, part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people,” Vilk told The Associated Press.
Yuval Green, a 27-year-old medic and reservist, shared that his doubts about the war began shortly after 7 October 2023.
He believed the military operation was not the right way to return hostages, calling it a simple and delusional idea.
“How do we allow ourselves to bombard Gaza and kill Palestinians in such quantities?” he questioned.
He was also surprised by the lack of mercy shown toward Palestinians.
“Israel is not known for such mercy, but I didn’t think we would endanger the hostages like that,” he said.
Green had expected the war to end quickly, with a deal being signed soon, but he was quickly disillusioned.
A Movement for Change
Despite its small size, a movement of soldiers refusing to serve is gaining momentum.
Around 200 soldiers have signed a letter pledging to stop fighting unless the government secures a ceasefire.
Max Kresch, the organiser of the Tel Aviv conference, strongly condemned the government’s handling of the conflict.
“Enough is enough. Enough manipulation, political manipulation of this war,” Kresch said.
“We’re not going to be pawns in your war anymore. We’re raising our voices.”
“We appreciate soldiers, we appreciate the IDF, but we do not appreciate a government that uses the IDF as a chessboard for their political game,” he said.
The soldiers’ refusal comes as international pressure mounts on Israel and Hamas to negotiate an end to the fighting.
Ceasefire talks are underway, with both US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump urging for a deal before the 20 January inauguration.
The 15-month-long conflict has taken a devastating toll on Palestinians, with at least 46,565 deaths reported, including 17,492 children.
More than 109,660 people have been injured as a result of the ongoing violence, further compounding the human cost of the war.
Disturbing Accounts of War Practices
A CNN report in October revealed disturbing testimonies from Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza, shedding light on the immense psychological toll the conflict has taken.
The report disclosed that bulldozers were used to clear paths by running over bodies, whether dead or alive.
One soldier, Eliran Mizrahi, a 40-year-old reservist, returned home deeply traumatised after his deployment to Gaza.
Mizrahi, a father of four, tragically took his own life six months later, his family told CNN.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he struggled with the burden of what he witnessed and participated in during the war.
A key part of Mizrahi’s experience involved operating a D-9 bulldozer, a massive armoured vehicle used for demolishing buildings and clearing paths.
Guy Zaken, a fellow operator of a D-9 bulldozer, shared harrowing details of their work in Gaza, where they were forced to drive over bodies to clear rubble.
He revealed that many soldiers had to run over people “in the hundreds,” leaving deep mental scars.
Zaken admitted that he can no longer eat meat, as it reminds him of the crushed bodies.
These accounts have drawn attention to the mental health crisis among Israeli soldiers.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged that many soldiers are suffering from PTSD and other mental illnesses, though official figures on suicides have not been provided.
Soldiers and medics have criticised the lack of adequate mental health care, with many struggling to reintegrate into civilian life after enduring the horrors of urban warfare.
