IDF probes Gaza war crimes claims based on Breaking the Silence testimonials

Israel's military police is investigating eight separate incidents from Operation Protective Edge.

By NOAM AMIR/MAARIV HASHAVUA
Updated: JULY 16, 2015 18:30
IDF combat troops take part in intense drills (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF combat troops take part in intense drills
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Israel's military police is investigating eight separate incidents in which soldiers taking part in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza last year may have violated laws governing war, an IDF news magazine is reporting this week.
The incidents were revealed in soldier testimonials collected by the Israeli veterans organization Breaking the Silence.
"[Breaking the Silence] is publicizing certain incidents and claiming that war crimes were committed," said the IDF Military Police commander, Col. Erez Raban. "It is very difficult to get to the bottom of these claims if we don't have anyone come and submit a statement in an organized fashion and offer details and answer questions."
"These claims are being made by people who speak on condition of anonymity," he said. "In going through the soldiers' statements, we are trying to figure out which incident is being talked about."
Raban made the statements to Wednesday editions of Bamahane, a news magazine staffed by journalist soldiers. Despite the complexity of the stories contained in the Breaking the Silence testimonials - particularly the fact that the claims were made anonymously - Raban said that the army takes the alleged accounts seriously even though at this stage the military does not consider the soldiers as suspects.
"My goal is to get to the truth," the colonel told Bamahane.