The Israeli Defense Forces Spokespersons Unit (Spox) yesterday modified its tone in response to Amnesty International’s just-published comprehensive report on the IDF’s Operation Cast Lead, which we reported on yesterday here.
After a long list of criticisms and and justifications (which have all been previously reported here and elsewhere), the IDF statement then concludes with these remarks saying that the IDF is currently looking into the complaints made by Amnesty International and others about “the way in which the IDF operated during Operation Cast Lead” — and it very discretely reports even that one or more criminal investigations have been ordered opened:
“Out of a professional, ethical and judicial obligation to thoroughly inspect certain claims made regarding Operation Cast Lead, the IDF conducted a number of investigations following the operation. The investigations proved that the IDF operated throughout the fighting in accordance with international law, maintaining high ethical and professional standards and in many incidents, for the sake of avoiding harm to unassociated civilians, even limited itself beyond existing judicial obligations.
“Nonetheless, the investigations found a few, unfortunate incidents that are unavoidable during combat – especially the type of combat Hamas forced upon the IDF during Operation Cast Lead, when it chose to fight from within civilian population centers. In addition to the investigations ordered by the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the IDF is currently looking into complaints that were received from various sources – private lawyers, human rights organizations (including Amnesty) and media outlets (both domestic and international) – that raise different questions regarding the way in which the IDF operated during Operation Cast Lead. In certain cases, the Chief Military Advocate has already ordered the opening of a criminal investigation“.
The IDF blinked?
Finally, and at last, the defiant facade is softening.
In any case, this is a very positive development.
Maybe it will help ensure that the unfair and utter insensitive cruelty that was evident in the Gaza conflict will never happen again. Never again.