July marks the 9th anniversary of Israel’s most destructive war on Gaza in 2014.
The war left 2251 dead 11000+ injured and 300000 displaced.
Of the 2251 Israel killed 551 were children 299 were women and 17 were journalists.
These are some testimonies by Israeli soldiers and officers who participated in this onslaught.
1- &ldquoThe assumption being that the moment we went in [to Gaza] anyone who dared poke his head out was a terrorist.&rdquo
2- &ldquoThey check the bodies and it was two women over age 30. The bodies of two women and they were unarmed. He came back and we moved on and they were listed as terrorists&rdquo
3- &ldquoAny home which Israeli forces entered and used would be destroyed afterward by giant D9 bulldozers.&rdquo
4- &ldquoI witnessed the destruction of infrastructure homes and public buildings without any clear military justification. It felt like we were causing immense suffering to the civilian population.&rdquo
5- &ldquoIf you shoot someone in Gaza it’s cool no big deal. First of all because it’s Gaza and second because that’s warfare.&rdquo
6- &ldquoUprooted olive trees everywhere. The houses themselves were broken scattered about a mound where a building once stood houses simply scattered around. We didn׳t actually get an operational order stating that that was the objective – but ultimately no house was supposed to be left standing.&rdquo
7- &ldquoAt a certain point we understood it was a pattern: you leave a house and the house is gone – after two or three houses you figure out that there׳s a pattern. The D9 comes and flattens it.&rdquo
8- &ldquoFrom their point of view no one should be there at all. If there is [any Palestinian] there &ndash they shouldn&rsquot be.&rdquo
A competitive mindset took hold among soldiers as they vied to hit moving vehicles on the road frequented by civilians including cars trucks and even ambulances.
At least 35000 artillery shells and 6000 missiles were fired during the assault.
Nearly 20000 Palestinian buildings and structures were destroyed or damaged including:
500 industrial and commercial facilities
169 mosques
20 hospitals and clinics
(PIC)
