© Reuters / Suhaib Salem
A after returning to his destroyed house in Beit Hanoun town, which witnesses said was heavily hit by Israeli shelling and air strikes during the Israeli offensive, in the northern Gaza Strip August 5, 2014
Dissenting voices are being heard among the Israeli military, as the IDF withdraws its forces from Gaza. Over 1,800 Palestinians - the vast majority of them civilians - were killed in the almost month-long operation.
The week has brought what relentless rallies around the globe have been continuously demanding. On Tuesday, Israel declared that its mission in the Gaza Strip had been accomplished; Hamas tunnels and hideouts were destroyed and troops could finally withdraw. As of Wednesday, over 1,800 Palestinians had been killed - most of them civilians, including hundreds of women and children, according to the UN.
Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the Israel Defense Forces as a
"moral" army, some within the military disagree.
Yehuda Shaul, co-founder of Breaking the Silence - an organization of veteran Israeli combatants - told
RT's Paula Slier that many soldiers are questioning Israel's actions.
"There are a lot of soldiers who come back and say to themselves, 'What the hell are we doing here? Why are we using so much force? Why are we treating them this way?'" he said.
The UN said Wednesday that it
"understands the legitimate security right to defend Israeli citizens from the threat of rocket attacks by Hamas
." Three civilians in Israel were also killed, as well as 64 Israeli soldiers.
Comment: A very astute observation!
Telegenically Dead Palestinians and the Subversion of your Soul