A five-month international investigation has revealed that
Israeli snipers deliberately targeted and killed unarmed Palestinian civilians
in Gaza, including a single family whose members were killed one by one. The
probe uncovered confessions from soldiers and detailed eyewitness and video
evidence, sparking calls for war crimes investigations by human rights groups.
Bold it: Probe Uncovers Deliberate Targeting of Civilians by Israeli Snipers
An extensive five-month investigation led by The Guardian in
collaboration with multiple international media including the Arab Reporters
for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), Paper Trail Media, Der Spiegel, and ZDF
has exposed serious allegations that Israeli snipers from a secretive military
unit known as the “Ghost Unit” deliberately targeted unarmed Palestinian
civilians in Gaza. The investigation confirmed the killings of four members of
the Doghmush family in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City on 22
November 2023.
Daniel Raab, a US-born sniper and member of the Ghost Unit, admitted to killing 19-year-old Salem Doghmush, who was unarmed and attempting to retrieve the body of his brother Mohammed, also killed moments earlier. Raab was interviewed by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi and posted on social media. Raab described this incident as his "first execution," showing indifference to the civilian status of his victims:
“Honestly, I don’t care. Was the corpse really that important?”
he said when shown footage of the
killing.
Raab further claimed his sniper team killed a total of 105 people during their deployment, describing how civilians mistakenly believed they were safe in ordinary clothes, but were nonetheless targeted:
“That’s what snipers are for,” Raab was quoted.
The Doghmush Family Tragedy
The probe revealed that the killings unfolded over a single
day: Mohammed Doghmush was shot first, followed by his brother Salem as he
tried to recover the body. Their father, Muntasir, was also gunned down while
approaching the scene, and their cousin Khalil was severely wounded attempting
to help. Fear forced the family to leave the bodies unrecovered in the street
until a ceasefire two days later allowed for burial, despite international law
guaranteeing the right to retrieve and bury the dead.
Ghost Unit Composition and International Outcry
The Ghost Unit sniper team comprises 11 members with
multiple foreign nationals, including Americans, Germans, French, Belgians,
South Africans, Italians, Ethiopians, and Azerbaijanis, many holding dual
citizenship. The involvement of foreign nationals has prompted urgent legal
complaints in countries such as Belgium and France, where war crimes
investigations have been demanded by human rights organisations.
Rights groups have argued that the evidence points to deliberate violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes, intensifying calls for accountability.
Bold it: Context of Wider Allegations Against Israeli Forces
Other reports corroborate allegations of excessive and
lethal use of force by Israeli soldiers against unarmed Palestinians,
particularly near food aid distribution sites in Gaza. Israeli soldiers were
reportedly ordered by commanders to open fire on civilians queuing for aid,
even when they posed no threat, according to whistleblower testimonies reported
by Haaretz and detailed by The Telegraph. Soldiers admitted to using heavy
machine guns, grenades, and mortars to disperse these crowds.
Israeli military spokespersons deny these allegations but
have confirmed inquiries into some incidents. Despite denials, survivors and
witnesses describe a pattern of deliberate shootings at civilians, with
hundreds of Palestinians killed or injured at these aid points.
Bold it: International Reactions and Calls for War Crimes Investigations
The revelations about the Ghost Unit and broader Israeli
military conduct have led to widespread condemnation by human rights
organisations and international legal experts. Calls for investigations by the
International Criminal Court (ICC) and United Nations bodies have intensified,
citing potential systematic war crimes.
Analysts note that Israeli military tactics, including
"kill zones" and authorisations to shoot civilians, imply a policy
that contravenes international humanitarian law. Accusations of summary
executions and indiscriminate airstrikes have been documented in parallel
investigations since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, with
thousands of civilian deaths reported.
Bold it: Legal and Ethical Implications
The exposure of snipers’ admissions and the evidence
gathered pose significant legal and ethical issues. The targeting of unarmed
civilians violates the Geneva Conventions and customary international law
concerning the protection of civilians in conflict zones. Legal experts argue
this amounts to war crimes that warrant thorough and impartial investigations.
Several countries where Ghost Unit members hold citizenship
face mounting pressure to investigate and potentially prosecute their nationals
involved in these operations.
Bold it: The Human Cost and the Path Ahead
The investigation personalised the human cost of the Gaza
conflict through the tragic fate of the Doghmush family and other victims. It
highlighted the haunting reality faced by civilians who believed they were safe
but who became deliberate targets.
The ongoing conflict continues to wreak havoc on Gaza’s civilian population amid an intensifying humanitarian crisis marked by starvation and destruction. Advocates warn that without accountability, these violations and loss of innocent life will likely continue unchecked.