The Paratrooper Brigade in the Gaza Strip. Photo: IDF Spokesperson

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On Tuesday, March 24^th 2009, the commander of an armored brigade, Col. Roee, took part in a press conference for the foreign media about Operation Cast Lead. Col.Roee discussed the ethical dilemmas faced by IDF commanders during combat in urban territories with Hamas using civilians as human shields. Col. Roee also discussed the values that IDF soldiers are taught over the course of their military service and the ways in which the IDF enforces these values and principles. The IDF had strict policies during the operation regarding the ethical commitment of the soldiers and commanders to report any harm to uninvolved civilians.

During the operation, Col. Roee faced many difficult ethical dilemmas; as an example he explained that his force "saw an armed Hamas fighter hiding behind seven children and a woman that was holding a white flag." While the company commander ordered his soldiers to hold fire, this presents IDF soldiers with a complex situation. "You need to make sure the least number of civilians are involved in the fighting. The battalion commander must always give permission in order to prevent any wrongdoing when a soldier is in a situation that could be defined as a 'gray area.' These are the IDF rules of engagement," explains Col. Roee.

Col. Roee also recounted a situation in which a tunnel was located and was believed to contain explosives. The forces refrained from shelling it due to humanitarian aid trucks driving in the area. It was later found that the tunnel harbored both Hamas operatives and explosives..

"There is a lot of evidence of Hamas using people as human shields everywhere, [while] education is deeply rooted in the IDF, and the ethical code is loud and clear. The stories that were published are doubtful but we will investigate them seriously," explained Col. Roee.

Additionally, the brigade commander spoke of the complexity of the situation on the ground and the way in which Hamas takes advantage of the IDF's ethical code in order to impose moral dilemmas on Israel's soldiers. Hamas has a clear interest in the death of innocent civilians to make Israel be perceived as criminal. He went on to explain that IDF commanders make it clear that Hamas is the enemy and only the enemy should be engaged. Additionally, he made reference to the numerous times in which the IDF decided not to act against terrorists because of their proximity to uninvolved civilians. Furthermore, Col. Roee spoke of how Hamas places explosives inside civilian homes and uses nearby homes in order to detonate these booby-traps. In conclusion, Col. Roee emphasized that the IDF went out of its way to protect civilians in unprecedented ways.