The report exposes that high-ranking officials, including Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, not only tolerate but actively endorse this inhumane practice.

The Haaretz investigation details how Palestinian men, including the elderly and teenagers, have been coerced into wearing Israeli military uniforms and forced to assist in searches for tunnels and explosives. The report highlights the disturbing belief among Israeli soldiers that Palestinian lives are expendable compared to their own.

This troubling tactic is reminiscent of the “Neighbor Procedure” used during “Operation Protective Wall” in 2002, underscoring a continued pattern of disregard for Palestinian lives.

In light of these revelations, Ezzat al-Resheq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, has called for international condemnation and demanded that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) include these admissions in its investigation of Israeli war crimes. Resheq has urged global human rights organizations to bring these violations to light and hold Israeli leaders accountable.

The Haaretz report is expected to strengthen the genocide case against Israel that South Africa filed at the ICJ in December 2023. South Africa’s application accuses Israel of committing acts of genocide aimed at obliterating a substantial part of the Palestinian people.

Although the ICJ has issued interim orders for Israel to prevent further genocide in Gaza, it has not yet called for an immediate ceasefire. The final ruling on the case may take considerable time, but the urgent need for international intervention is clear.

The relentless assault on Gaza has claimed nearly 40,000 Palestinian lives, primarily women and children, with over 92,000 injured and many more missing under the rubble. (ILKHA)