Israeli Soldiers Say Gaza Atrocities Came from Orders to 'Kill Anything'

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A new report based on testimonies of Israeli soldiers concludes that the massive civilian death toll from last summer's Israeli assault on Gaza resulted from a policy of indiscriminate fire.

The Israeli veterans group Breaking the Silence released testimonies of more than 60 Israeli officers and soldiers, which the organization says illustrate a "broad ethical failure" that "comes from the top of the chain of command." More than 2,200 Palestinians -- the vast majority civilians -- were killed in the assault. On Israel's side, 73 people were killed, all but six of them soldiers. During the 50-day operation, more than 20,000 Palestinian homes were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced.

"Democracy Now!" hears candid video testimonies from the soldiers and speaks to former Israeli paratrooper Avner Gvaryahu, director of public outreach at Breaking the Silence.

Photo credit: Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images