rules of engagement

Israeli soldiers from the 8717 Battalion of the Givati Brigade operating in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, December 28, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

‘I’m bored, so I shoot’: The Israeli army’s approval of free-for-all violence in Gaza

Israeli soldiers describe the near-total absence of firing regulations in the Gaza war, with troops shooting as they please, setting homes ablaze, and leaving corpses on the streets — all with their commanders’ permission.

By Oren Ziv July 8, 2024

Israeli snipers seen on the border with Gaza during the Great March of Return, March 30, 2018. (IDF Spokesperson)

Top court hears first major challenge to IDF’s live fire in Gaza

Human rights groups argue the army’s open-fire regulations violate international law. The government claims the use of deadly force is justified — even against unarmed demonstrators. Israel’s High Court of Justice heard on Monday a major challenge to the IDF’s rules of engagement, which permit the use of live fire against demonstrators who pose no danger…

By Joshua Leifer April 30, 2018

Palestinian protesters during the Gaza return march. April 20, 2018. (Mohammed Zaanoun / Activestills.org)

Israeli soldiers open fire on Gaza protesters fourth week in a row

Israeli forces reportedly kill at least four protesters and wound over 400 with live ammunition and tear gas during Gaza Return March demonstrations on Friday. By +972 Magazine Staff Israeli forces opened fire on protesters participating in the Great Return March on Friday for the fourth consecutive week. The Great Return March, which began on Land Day,…

By +972 Magazine April 20, 2018

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The final photo. Mahmoud Badran (first on the right) and his friends, who went for an evening swim at the pool and finished off the night riddled with bullets. (Photo courtesy of B'Tselem)

Justice will never be the norm under occupation

A 15-year-old boy is shot and killed, and the soldiers who shot him — in violation of army regulations — will likely never see the inside of a prison cell. The situation is both outrageous, and the most normative end to this story and countless others just like it. The Israeli soldier and army officer…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man January 19, 2018

File photo of Israeli police aiming their rifles at Palestinian protesters. (Activestills.org)

Police allowed to shoot stone throwers: Botched redaction reveals rules of engagement

Israeli police are pressured to release new rules of engagement for using live ammunition. The document reveals cops are allowed to shoot stone throwers. The kicker: police tried to black out some of the regulations, but their black marker was running low on ink. Israel Police revealed its live-fire rules of engagement Monday in response…

By +972 Magazine July 5, 2016

Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who has been charged with manslaughter for shooting an incapacitated Palestinian stabbing suspect in Hebron, is seen in a military court, March 29, 2016. (Pool photo/AFP)

Hebron shooter’s indictment is an exception that proves the rule

When Sgt. Elor Azaria was caught on camera finishing off a wounded Palestinian knifeman and indicted for manslaughter, the IDF said rogue soldiers would always be brought to justice. The case of Bassem Abu Rahme, an unarmed protester who was fatally shot by an unknown soldier in 2009, shows that when given an opportunity to…

By +972 Magazine April 25, 2016

Palestinian youth take cover behind a door as they shoot fireworks toward Israeli Border Police during clashes at a checkpoint between the Shuafat refugee camp and the rest of Jerusalem, November 6, 2014. (Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Why does Netanyahu think he can stop rock throwing?

If live ammunition hasn’t stopped stone throwing in the West Bank, what makes the prime minister think it will work in Jerusalem? The one thing we can be sure the change in policy will do is kill more Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants security forces to start shooting Palestinian stone throwers. During the…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man September 20, 2015