IOF soldiers say division cmdr. allowed brother to raze Gaza buildings
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One soldier says Brigadier General Yehuda Vach proposed allowing Israeli civilian vehicles, driven by troops, to travel the Netzarim Corridor as a provocative demonstration aimed at Hamas.
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Israeli soldiers prepare to be deployed to the Gaza Strip near the Gaza border, on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. (AP)
Some Israeli soldiers who participated in the war on the Gaza Strip have accused Brigadier General Yehuda Vach, commander of the Israeli military’s 252nd Division, of risking troops' lives through an aggressive operational approach and deploying forces into combat zones without sufficient preparation, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Tuesday.
According to officers and soldiers, Vach displayed a harsh attitude toward Gaza’s residents, allowing his brother to lead a campaign of destruction that razed numerous buildings. They also mentioned that he facilitated questionable access for Israeli settlers to enter Gaza under his authority.
The Israeli occupation military denied these allegations, claiming to Haaretz that all of Vach’s decisions were "professional" and carried out in coordination with the military’s chain of command.
The 252nd Division was previously tasked with operations in the Netzarim Corridor, a critical strategic route dividing Gaza into northern and southern sectors. In August, the Israeli military conducted an operation in the al-Zaytoun, a southern neighborhood of Gaza City near the corridor, during which Vach reportedly pushed for advances northward.
Unnamed commanders told Haaretz that Vach ordered forces into areas lacking necessary support from combat engineers and other units required to clear potential roadside bombs. The operation resulted in eight fatalities, all soldiers from the Jerusalem Brigade under Vach’s division. A senior officer in the Southern Command stated that an inquiry was conducted to examine the high casualty rate.
'Everyone is a terrorist'
In December, Vach convened a meeting with commanders to evaluate deployment in the Netzarim Corridor. During the meeting, he reportedly reiterated a controversial remark, asserting that Palestinians would only learn a lesson from the October 7, 2023, attack by losing territory.
A commander present at the meeting said that Vach also opposed the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into northern Gaza, where international aid groups reported severe shortages. Vach’s stance, according to the commander, was that there were no innocents in Gaza and that "everyone is a terrorist."
During the division’s deployment in the corridor, Vach emphasized the need for symbolic victories. One soldier said Vach proposed allowing Israeli civilian vehicles, driven by troops, to travel the corridor as a provocative demonstration aimed at Hamas, but most commanders reportedly rejected the idea, citing the risks of an ambush by Hamas or friendly fire from other Israeli military units.
Vach also planned a cross-Gaza run from the Israeli-controlled border to the Mediterranean Sea as a sporting event for soldiers, who would not wear protective gear. According to the report, the Israeli military's Southern Command chief, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, canceled the event the night before it was to take place.
Haaretz further reported an incident during a classified video briefing where a kippa-wearing civilian was seen behind Vach in Gaza studying maps of the area. Once Vach noticed, he immediately ordered the settler to leave, a source said.
Other sources revealed that Vach facilitated access for his brothers, who are officers, granting them considerable freedom to operate in Gaza. Col. (res.) Golan Vach, who previously commanded the National Search and Rescue Unit, reportedly led a small unit tasked with demolishing buildings in Gaza during the ongoing war, commanders in the 252nd Division said.
Commanders speaking to Haaretz were unclear about the unit's composition, with some describing its members as resembling "hilltop youth," a term often associated with extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Another brother of Vach, unnamed in the report, reportedly entered Gaza without proper authorization, sometimes accompanied by settlers.
During the 252nd Division's deployment, troops were also accused of smuggling settler leader Daniella Weiss into Gaza to survey potential settlement areas. Weiss has been advocating for the resettlement of northern Gaza.
Read more: “It Is Fun to Shoot Palestinians”: Six Former Israeli Soldiers Speak Up
