A growing number of Israeli soldiers are speaking out against the Israel-Hamas war. They say they did or saw things that crossed ethical lines.

Yotam Vilk says the image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in his mind.

An officer in the armored corps, Vilk said the instructions were to shoot any unauthorized person who entered an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza. He saw at least 12 people killed, he said, but it is the shooting of the teen that he can’t shake.

“He died as part of a bigger story. As part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people,” Vilk, 28, told The Associated Press.

    • shaserlark@sh.itjust.works
      41·
      14 hours ago

      There are examples of people who rather go to jail than participate in genocide. It’s possible, the majority of society just doesn’t want to resist the system. The majority of people is more okay with participating in genocide than with facing the consequences of doing the right thing. In Nazi Germany they would have been those who were “just following orders“.

    • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.world
      3·
      24 hours ago

      Sure, but the commander still chooses who to send where. It’s not like someone with the attitude of “don’t tell me what to do” will be sent to murder civilians. They’re still gonna send someone who acts first, thinks later.