Israeli Colonel Refutes Damning U.N. Report
The United Nations and much of the world media have blasted Israel for alleged war crimes during its incursion into the Gaza Strip in January, but one Israeli tank commander is mounting a spirited defense, using declassified video footage from Israel Defense Force drones and commercial media.
The video clips show the extraordinary efforts the IDF made to avoid civilian casualties, at times steering bombs away from their intended targets, because the target had moved into a crowd of civilians.
They also provide graphic testimony of war crimes committed by Hamas. In one scene, an armed Hamas fighter can be seen grabbing a child by the arm holding the child in front of him as he crossed the street.
'He knows that our snipers shoot them when they are in the open, crossing the street,' says Col. Ben-Tzion Gruber. 'So they grab children as human shields. He knows we don't shoot when there are children around.'
In another scene, a Hamas fighter can