May 27, 2022
The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi, addressed a ceremony held yesterday (Thursday) to mark the conclusion of the Command and Staff Course. As part of his remarks the Chief of the General Staff said:
"As an outcome of this [terrorist's deliberate use of populated areas], urban warfare endangers uninvolved civilians who reside in or enter these zones. And unfortunately, non-combatants have indeed been harmed."
"In a similar way, the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was hit and killed. We express our condolences over her death, and since the incident, we have been trying to get to the truth in every way, but essential data that is in the Palestinians' hands is inaccessible to us."
"The IDF called for a joint investigation with the Palestinians - and was rejected. The IDF called on the Palestinians to include the Americans in the investigation - and was rejected. The IDF asked to examine the bullet or jointly examine it - and was rejected. The IDF is determined to conduct a professional investigation, however the Palestinians are not allowing this to happen."
"If we had managed to get to the whole truth, we would stand in front of the public and present one of the two possible scenarios. We would have clearly stated that there is a possibility that the bullet was fired by the IDF. Or the other, that the bullet was not fired from an IDF weapon and therefore was fired by a Palestinian gunman. Whatever the conclusion, we would state one of the two scenarios in a sharp, loud and clear voice."
"Therefore, we call on the Palestinians once again not to fear, to cooperate, and let the truth come to light to clear the doubt and the remaining questions. On the other hand, until we thoroughly examine these details, we cannot determine with certainty who fired—not us, not the Palestinians, not any other party."
"There is one thing that can be determined with certainty: no IDF soldier deliberately fired at a journalist. We investigated this. That is the conclusion and there is no other. And there is another thing that can be clearly determined, based on plenty of facts and data, thousands of investigations and reviews accumulated over many years: the IDF operates based on values and in a professional manner, while the other side operates recklessly in a manner devoid of values."
"Urban warfare is the most difficult and complicated kind of warfare that exists. The Palestinian enemy shoots from within civilian crowds, homes of the local population and shoots in the direction of the streets where their own civilians walk."
"The difference between the IDF and the enemy is profound: The enemy shoots indiscriminately, whereas IDF soldiers fire in a measured manner. The enemy shoots recklessly, whereas IDF soldiers fire in a selective manner. IDF soldiers fire at legitimate military targets and do everything in their power to avoid harm to non-combatants. The enemy primarily directs its actions at civilians not involved in the fighting. The enemy acts according to a code of murder and terrorism, whereas the IDF acts based on its values and the justification of defense!"
"In a combat situation such as this, the Al Jazeera journalist was killed. She was killed during activity conducted by IDF soldiers to apprehend terrorists who planned to harm and kill civilians, during which terrorists opened fire in every direction, as well as toward the IDF soldiers."
"IDF units have been operating in Judea and Samaria for many years, day after day, apprehending a large number of terrorist operatives, many times while under heavy fire. And despite this, with all of the complexities, our forces are usually able to avoid harming uninvolved Palestinian civilians. This is an expression of values, of professionalism."
"IDF pilots strike terrorist targets in some of the most densely-populated areas in the world, and their rate of harming non-combatants is one of the lowest in military history. 'Roof-knocking' or 'side-tapping' to avoid harm to non-combatants is a practice invented by the IDF."
"The IDF operates in such a precise manner that other militaries around the world claim that we are setting a standard for them that they will not be able to meet in combat. We are proud of this, and even prouder to have the honor of protecting Israeli civilians, and we will not stop chasing down terror and its leaders."
"This is the standard we have set for ourselves, which stems from education that flows in the veins of a people, from the values of the IDF and from the personal example set by generations upon generations of IDF soldiers and commanders. But there are those who do not realize the reality on the ground, those who deny it, that are completely distorted. Like the Prophet Isaiah said: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
"We and our enemies are in two completely different worlds, with a moral abyss in between. They are doing all they can to harm our civilians; we are doing everything to achieve our mission and avoid harm to non-combatants. They celebrate when our civilians are killed; we examine ourselves when their civilians are killed. They are rooted in a world with no regard to the principle of values in war; we feel it with every pull of the trigger and it encompasses every strike."
"The IDF will continue upholding the ‘golden triangle’: the top vertex being completing the mission, thwarting terror by applying all the needed and justifiable military force; to the vertex of upholding our soldiers’ safety; and finally, to the vertex of doing everything in our power to avoid harming non-combatants."
"As an outcome of this [terrorist's deliberate use of populated areas], urban warfare endangers uninvolved civilians who reside in or enter these zones. And unfortunately, non-combatants have indeed been harmed."
"In a similar way, the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was hit and killed. We express our condolences over her death, and since the incident, we have been trying to get to the truth in every way, but essential data that is in the Palestinians' hands is inaccessible to us."
"The IDF called for a joint investigation with the Palestinians - and was rejected. The IDF called on the Palestinians to include the Americans in the investigation - and was rejected. The IDF asked to examine the bullet or jointly examine it - and was rejected. The IDF is determined to conduct a professional investigation, however the Palestinians are not allowing this to happen."
"If we had managed to get to the whole truth, we would stand in front of the public and present one of the two possible scenarios. We would have clearly stated that there is a possibility that the bullet was fired by the IDF. Or the other, that the bullet was not fired from an IDF weapon and therefore was fired by a Palestinian gunman. Whatever the conclusion, we would state one of the two scenarios in a sharp, loud and clear voice."
"Therefore, we call on the Palestinians once again not to fear, to cooperate, and let the truth come to light to clear the doubt and the remaining questions. On the other hand, until we thoroughly examine these details, we cannot determine with certainty who fired—not us, not the Palestinians, not any other party."
"There is one thing that can be determined with certainty: no IDF soldier deliberately fired at a journalist. We investigated this. That is the conclusion and there is no other. And there is another thing that can be clearly determined, based on plenty of facts and data, thousands of investigations and reviews accumulated over many years: the IDF operates based on values and in a professional manner, while the other side operates recklessly in a manner devoid of values."
"Urban warfare is the most difficult and complicated kind of warfare that exists. The Palestinian enemy shoots from within civilian crowds, homes of the local population and shoots in the direction of the streets where their own civilians walk."
"The difference between the IDF and the enemy is profound: The enemy shoots indiscriminately, whereas IDF soldiers fire in a measured manner. The enemy shoots recklessly, whereas IDF soldiers fire in a selective manner. IDF soldiers fire at legitimate military targets and do everything in their power to avoid harm to non-combatants. The enemy primarily directs its actions at civilians not involved in the fighting. The enemy acts according to a code of murder and terrorism, whereas the IDF acts based on its values and the justification of defense!"
"In a combat situation such as this, the Al Jazeera journalist was killed. She was killed during activity conducted by IDF soldiers to apprehend terrorists who planned to harm and kill civilians, during which terrorists opened fire in every direction, as well as toward the IDF soldiers."
"IDF units have been operating in Judea and Samaria for many years, day after day, apprehending a large number of terrorist operatives, many times while under heavy fire. And despite this, with all of the complexities, our forces are usually able to avoid harming uninvolved Palestinian civilians. This is an expression of values, of professionalism."
"IDF pilots strike terrorist targets in some of the most densely-populated areas in the world, and their rate of harming non-combatants is one of the lowest in military history. 'Roof-knocking' or 'side-tapping' to avoid harm to non-combatants is a practice invented by the IDF."
"The IDF operates in such a precise manner that other militaries around the world claim that we are setting a standard for them that they will not be able to meet in combat. We are proud of this, and even prouder to have the honor of protecting Israeli civilians, and we will not stop chasing down terror and its leaders."
"This is the standard we have set for ourselves, which stems from education that flows in the veins of a people, from the values of the IDF and from the personal example set by generations upon generations of IDF soldiers and commanders. But there are those who do not realize the reality on the ground, those who deny it, that are completely distorted. Like the Prophet Isaiah said: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
"We and our enemies are in two completely different worlds, with a moral abyss in between. They are doing all they can to harm our civilians; we are doing everything to achieve our mission and avoid harm to non-combatants. They celebrate when our civilians are killed; we examine ourselves when their civilians are killed. They are rooted in a world with no regard to the principle of values in war; we feel it with every pull of the trigger and it encompasses every strike."
"The IDF will continue upholding the ‘golden triangle’: the top vertex being completing the mission, thwarting terror by applying all the needed and justifiable military force; to the vertex of upholding our soldiers’ safety; and finally, to the vertex of doing everything in our power to avoid harming non-combatants."
 |  |  |  |  |  |