Security

Israelis Use Combat Cameramen to Justify Strikes on Schools, Mosques

In Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces are pummeling targets they would normally never touch — mosques, hospitals, schools. To justify their actions, many IDF units are employing combat videographers, photographers, or sound engineers, to do what the Israeli military calls "op­erational verification."

The IDF says they have no choice."We didn’t change; the en­emy did," Yiftah Ron-Tal, a major gener­al in the IDF reserves, tells," writes Defense News ace Barbara Opall-Rome . "Hamas has sunken to lev­els that are the worst we’ve ever seen, by deliber­ately choosing the places and con­ditions of engagement that assure the heaviest civilian toll."

Which makes justifying attacks on these once-out-of-bound targets so important."It’s an integral part of the unit; just like snipers, communications officers and other specialists. His mission is to validate our actions in the context of the enemy threat," Ron-Tal says. "Video cameras and other docu­mentation gear is becoming part and parcel of the equipment militaries will need to provide for forces com­bating Hamas-type enemies."

An IDF officer said the Israeli mil­itary spokesman’s organization runs eight active-duty teams… specially trained in… documentation of ongoing operations…   Like the specialists noted by Ron­-Tal, who belong to the intelligence corps, IDF Spokesman teams are combat fighters specially trained in operational validation. "The intel guys document things and events from the field that support intelli­gence capabilities, while the other teams are deployed for purposes of domestic and international public opinion," the officer said.   "Our aim is to document the story in real time while we still have a chance to influence public opinion. We show how the other side is making cynical use of its civilians by stor­ing weaponry in mosques, booby trapping the homes of its own peo­ple and using schools and hospitals as command centers," he said.

Of course, those information operations are much easier, when the traditional press is largely shut out of Gaza – and a few, seemingly-antagonistic reporters are treated like criminals. Today, the Jerusalem Post reports, "two Arab residents of east Jerusalem employed by an Iranian TV channel were charged at the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday with violating IDF censorship," for airing footage before the Israeli military said it was OK.

Meanwhile, the IDF just posted its latest video to YouTube, showing an anti-aircraft gun and other weaponry, stored inside a Gaza mosque.

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