Galant: Cast Lead death ratio an achievement

OC Southern Command chief says IDF's moral conduct during Gaza op. something to be proud of.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Galant 248.88 (photo credit: IDF [file])
Galant 248.88
(photo credit: IDF [file])
The ratio between terrorists and civilians killed by the IDF during Operation Cast Lead is an achievement that other armies find difficult to match, OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant said on Tuesday in his first comments since the three-week-long battle ended in mid-January. "A feeling of pride washes over me because we have a moral army that adheres to international law," Galant said at a conference honoring Health Corps troops serving in the Southern Command in Ashkelon. "800 terrorists and 300 civilians, who we did not want to harm, were killed in the last operation," Galant said. "This ratio of almost a quarter [of the individuals] uninvolved [in the fighting] is an achievement unmatched in the history of this kind of combat," he added. "The combat soldiers were faced with difficult moral dilemmas... commanders had to find a moral balance at a time when every mistake could have brought about the failure of the mission or the death of civilians," Galant continued. Galant's comments follow recent criticism by various sources over the alleged disproportionate use of force during the Gaza operation, and they come after damning testimonies of soldiers who had participated in the operation were published in the media over the weekend.