On June 14 the Cabinet Secretary presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the report that has been prepared in recent months on the State of Israel's position regarding operation Protective Edge. This document, a product of diligent work undertaken by the Justice Ministry, Foreign Ministry, IDF Judge Advocate General and others in both the IDF and the National Security Council is a comprehensive analysis of the background to the operation and its goals as well as a detailed account of war crimes perpetrated by Hamas and its allies. It also presents IDF conduct during the operation with emphasis on the various steps that were taken in accordance with the rules of international law to minimize injury to the civilian population. The document reveals the system that has been in place since the end of the operation to inquire into and investigate claims regarding seeming violations of the laws of war by IDF soldiers during Operation Protective Edge.
The singular character of this work can be best understood when it is studied against the reality of our region.
Over the last few years and especially in recent months, the Middle East has been plagued by conflagrations characterized by extreme violence and cruelty. The use of chemical warfare by the Assad’s regime against civilians in the Civil war in Syria can only be compared with the atrocities perpetrated by DAASH (otherwise known as I.S.I.L) in Iraq and Syria. In other places around the Middle East, subsidiary groups have not lagged behind in their cruelty.
Unfortunately, the struggle against terrorism has been a constant part of our lives in Israel. For over 20 years we have tried to advance towards a solution of the conflict with the Palestinians. Among the different initiatives undertaken by Israel was the 2005 decision to evacuate the Gaza strip of all Israeli presence- military and civilian. All settlements were uprooted and their inhabitants moved back into sovereign Israeli territory. Unfortunately, since that time, almost 10 years ago, we found ourselves obliged to face continuous aggression by Hamas and other terrorist organizations which have occupied Gaza. For almost a decade Israel, a nation guided by the rule of law, found itself forced to confront non-state actors who not only openly call for our destruction, but also defy international law, including the Law of Armed Conflict. Time and again Hamas and its allies targeted Israeli civilian population centers. Thousands of attacks designed to kill, injure and terrorize Israeli population, destroy Israeli property and thwart any chance for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
In the summer of 2014 the repeated attacks by Hamas reached an unacceptable level of intensity which made any diplomatic effort meaningless and limited military action insufficient to protect Israeli civilian population from the terrorist onslaught. It was against this background that Israel was forced to act. While Israel conducts itself in line with international norms, Hamas has complete disregard for such rules. The facts are known- launching rockets from within population centers, placing arsenals in schools and houses of prayer and digging tunnels into Israeli civilian communities in order to perpetrate massive terrorist attacks. The I.D.F went into Gaza with weapons in one hand and a commitment to preserve the rules of law.
True to our core values, Israel did not turn a blind eye to the allegations that certain actions violated international law. Hundreds of complaints have been examined and numerous investigations have been held by the Military Advocate General. The comprehensive effort by the Israeli authorities to examine the different facets of operation Protective Edge is not limited by date. Israel intends to continue to publish updated information regarding the operation as more information is obtained or released. Our commitment to lawful conduct is not an empty promise; it is an integral part of who we are. While the flames of extremist violence and cruelty engulf our region, the light we follow is the torch of openness and truth.