Call for Israeli soldiers to refuse orders that may be war crimes

A former top security adviser, who served four Israeli prime ministers, has said Israeli soldiers in Gaza should refuse to obey orders to commit acts that may be war crimes.

Eran Etzion, who served as deputy head of his country’s National Security Council, believes Israel’s army may be committing war crimes in northern Gaza. He said ordinary soldiers and their officers must reject illegal instructions.

He said “we have our history, we have our morals, we have our values, and we must operate under international law and under international standards if we want to continue to be a member of the international community, which we do.”

Israel has faced mounting international criticism over its conduct during the war. The United States has threatened to cut arms shipments if Israel does not allow more aid into Gaza. The United Nations has accused the Israelis of repeatedly blocking the transfer of aid.

Currently the worst crisis is northern Gaza. Israel’s army, the IDF, has rejected allegations that it is implementing a deliberate policy of starvation to force large numbers of civilians to flee from Jabalia. There is evidence of terrible suffering in hospitals in the region, with large numbers of casualties and little medical supplies.