"Shoot first, ask questions later": “Israeli” soldiers exposed for indiscriminate shootings in Gaza

+972 Magazine released testimonies from “Israeli” soldiers and corroborating footage on Monday, revealing a pattern of indiscriminate shootings and brutal executions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

Al-Jazeera recently aired videos documenting what it termed "summary executions" by “Israeli” soldiers along the Gaza coastal road, capturing several incidents where unarmed Palestinians were fatally shot without apparent provocation.

The footage, a rare glimpse into the besieged enclave due to stringent media restrictions, portrays scenes where Palestinians, appearing unarmed and posing no immediate threat, were gunned down by “Israeli” soldiers on multiple occasions. 

“Israeli” soldiers, who mostly spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of their disclosures, told +972 Magazine that they were often authorized to use lethal force at their discretion, particularly in areas designated as "no-go zones." 

Such areas, defined arbitrarily by the military, became deadly grounds where civilians risked being shot on sight simply for their presence.

"We were given almost total freedom of action," recounted one soldier identified as B., who served in Gaza for months. "If there was even a hint of threat, the order was clear: shoot first, ask questions later." 

This directive, as described by soldiers, extended to firing upon anyone perceived as suspicious, regardless of age or gender.

When soldiers see someone approaching, “it is permissible to shoot at their center of mass [their body], not into the air,” B. continued. “It’s permissible to shoot everyone, a young girl, an old woman.”

The testimonies also revealed a disturbing practice of burning Palestinian homes as a tactical maneuver, allegedly to prevent the reuse of military equipment or supplies by Hamas. 

"Before leaving, you burn down the house — every house," stated another soldier, identified as Green, who witnessed these actions firsthand. This destruction, justified as a security measure, left numerous families homeless amidst the war’s devastation.

Further complicating the situation, soldiers reported a culture where shooting incidents were sometimes used as a release of tension or boredom. 

“People want to experience the event [fully],” remarked one reservist identified as S. “I personally fired a few bullets for no reason, into the sea or at the sidewalk or an abandoned building. They report it as ‘normal fire,’ which is a codename for ‘I’m bored, so I shoot.'”