Israeli soldiers admit to killing civilians and using children as human shields in Gaza.

The British newspaper "Independent" reported that Israeli occupation soldiers provided testimonies in a documentary aired by ITV, in which they spoke about "shocking" practices committed by the Israeli occupation army during its war on Gaza, including shooting at unarmed Palestinian civilians, using children as human shields, and implementing a systematic policy based on "destruction, demolition, and deportation."

The testimonies, which appeared in the documentary "Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel's War," included at least 12 soldiers who confirmed that Gaza was left in a state of "apocalypse" after two years of unprecedented Israeli aggression, noting that their leaders ordered them to ignore international law and take revenge on everyone, while officers celebrated the airstrikes.

The participants also spoke about the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, burning Palestinian homes that were used as forward bases, and shooting at aid seekers at distribution sites, alongside an "unprecedented" bombing campaign that caused widespread damage.

A lieutenant colonel who served more than 300 days in Gaza, known as "Colonel B," stated that the operations were "completely comprehensive," adding: "I would have pushed them all into the sea with bulldozers on October 7 and let them swim to Egypt."

Another soldier mentioned that some members of his battalion openly expressed their desire to "destroy, demolish, and deport" Palestinians outside the sector, and the report noted that Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign and a comprehensive blockade on Gaza following Hamas attacks on the southern occupied territories, which killed more than a thousand people, according to Israeli estimates.

The soldiers described what happened as a "campaign of revenge," confirming that the ongoing bombing since October 2023 has claimed the lives of more than 64,000 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, while more than 90 percent of homes have been destroyed or damaged, according to the United Nations, and the blockade has led to famine and a humanitarian crisis described as "unprecedented."

This year, a United Nations investigation committee concluded that Israel committed "genocide."

A soldier named "Yaqub" stated that the level of destruction in Gaza was so horrific that it "destroyed an entire community," adding: "All the mosques, hospitals, universities, and cultural institutions were leveled to the ground."

He confirmed that his battalion used Palestinians as human shields, including a 16-year-old boy, adding that their commander told them: "Don't worry about international law, just care about the spirit of the Israeli army."

Another soldier named "Daniel" reported that the use of human shields became "a widespread practice" within the occupation forces, referring to what is known as the "Mosquito Protocol," during which Palestinians are forced to work as field assistants in tunnels.

He explained that "every battalion has its own mosquito, meaning three Palestinians per battalion, and dozens for each company," considering this method "saves soldiers' lives."

The "Independent" noted that its previous investigations proved that the Israeli occupation army used children as young as 12 years old in house searches and tunnel investigations while wearing military uniforms. In response, the army stated that "orders prohibit the use of civilians in military tasks that put them at risk."

The film also addressed the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, with the World Bank estimating the cost of reconstruction at around $53 billion, while the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development warned that the continuation of the blockade could make the sector's economy take 350 years to return to its pre-war level.

Rabbi Avraham Zarbiyev, who served more than 500 days in Gaza, stated that he was behind the idea of systematically destroying residential neighborhoods, affirming that the army "invested hundreds of thousands of shekels in destroying the sector," justifying this by saying that "everything there is considered one large terrorist infrastructure."

The soldiers also recounted instances of killing unarmed civilians, including a man who was hanging his laundry and was hit by a tank shell, and a teenager who was shot in the head while pushing a cart.

A soldier named "Eli" stated that 112 "terrorists" were recorded as killed in his unit, but he confirmed that only one was actually armed.

Captain Nita Kasbin, who oversaw drone operations, said she watched her crew track a man walking in the Netzarim corridor for half an hour before shooting him, with one soldier later saying: "Be happy."

Another soldier added that using drones in Gaza "is like playing."