Military expert Major General Fayez Duweiri attributes the rise in friendly fire fatalities within the Israeli army—during its offensive on Gaza—to fear and inadequate training, as well as the strength of the resistance they are facing on the ground.
According to the Israel Defense Forces’ data, one in every five fatalities falls victim to friendly fire, with 17% killed in this manner or through incidents in the field.
Duweiri points out that mistakes occur in all battles, but not to these catastrophic numbers which indicate the soldiers’ fear and deteriorating urban warfare training, as well as mismanagement of the battle. It also reflects the Palestinian resistance forces’ effectiveness in managing the confrontation and asserting their will.
To underscore the fear prevailing among Israeli soldiers during combat, Duweiri mentioned that recently a soldier killed his comrade, another woke up from sleep panicked, picked up his weapon, and shot at the walls, in addition to the killing of three prisoners who were waving white flags and speaking Hebrew.
In addition to these incidences, the military expert notes that what were branded as “scandals” attributed to the resistance on October 7, were later revealed to have been caused by the Israeli army, including the deaths of hundreds at a musical concert in the Gaza envelope.
Forensic analysis confirmed that the body of a soldier, found in one of the tunnels, was killed using Israeli-made toxic bombs, according to Duweiri.
Duweiri believes that part of these outcomes is due to Israel’s implementation of the “Hannibal Directive” during operations in Gaza, which involves killing captured soldiers, as happened when a house in Gaza was bombed to kill members associated with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the captives with them.
