Israeli soldiers describe shoot-on-sight orders for men in Gaza, investigation finds

Israeli soldiers have testified that the army issued orders to shoot and kill any man encountered during military operations in Gaza, in a Channel 13 investigation aired on last Thursday that renewed scrutiny over Israel's rules of engagement in the territory.

The testimony was given to Iris Haim, the mother of Yotam Haim, an Israeli captive killed by Israeli forces in Gaza's Shujaiya neighbourhood in December 2023.

The investigation, conducted by journalist Raviv Drucker, was broadcast as part of Channel 13's investigative programme.

"A man, no matter what age, don't play games with it; kill immediately," one soldier, speaking anonymously, said of the orders he received. He added that troops were also instructed that if the person encountered was a woman or a child, they should "use your judgment, because things happen."

Shoot-on-sight orders described

A separate soldier told the programme that troops were taught to regard anyone, including elderly civilians, as a potential threat. "Even an old man can blow himself up with an explosive device," he said. "The protocol was to shoot them."

The same soldier described a separate incident in which a person emerged carrying a white flag and was shot immediately.

Iris told Channel 13 that soldiers had effectively been ordered to "kill every person walking on two legs." A brigade commander involved in the December 2023 incident confirmed to her that unarmed individuals were also targeted.

"If a terrorist moves toward me, I try to kill him. I do not try to arrest him," the commander said.

Asked explicitly whether unarmed individuals were shot, the commander replied: "Of course, we need to kill him — yes, even if he is completely unarmed."

The killing of Yotam Haim

In December 2023, Israeli forces shot dead three Israeli captives — Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer Talalka — in the Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City, despite the men being shirtless, waving a white flag, and posing no apparent threat.

One of the soldiers who spoke anonymously identified himself as the person who fired the shot that struck Yotam. Describing his mindset at the time, he said: "I fire 500 bullets a minute. I blow things up. I don't care. I'm here to kill terrorists."

The soldier said he initially believed the three men approaching were enemy combatants. "There are three terrorists, I'll kill them. Then I realised two had already been killed, and one had escaped," he said.

According to the Channel 13 investigation, a commander had instructed Yotam to approach the building where Israeli troops were stationed. As he did so, soldiers opened fire. "I fired one bullet, and he didn't die," the soldier told Iris. His weapon then jammed, before another soldier told him: "Let me finish it."

The commander who fired on the captives was subsequently promoted by the Israeli army's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir. The military described him as "an outstanding officer."

Testimonies contradict official inquiry

The Channel 13 report found that the soldiers' accounts directly contradicted the conclusions of the army's own investigation. According to the soldiers, no order to cease fire was given at the moment of the shooting, contradicting the military's claim that all troops heard the command.

Drucker said the captives' families had approached the army seeking a genuine inquiry. "They received what was presented to them, which in their eyes, and in mine as well, was a cover-up and a whitewash," he said.

The investigation further found that Israeli forces had fired a missile at a building in northern Gaza where the three captives were sheltering five days before they were killed, after troops exchanged fire with Hamas fighters nearby.

The captives survived and subsequently moved between houses in Shujaiya, hanging signs appealing for help. The report said military intelligence failed to act on information provided by troops on the ground.

Broader captive deaths

Of the 251 people taken captive during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, 85 were either taken dead or died later in various and often contested circumstances during captivity.

On the day of the attack, the Israeli army invoked the Hannibal Directive, a controversial military protocol permitting forces to fire on captives to prevent their abduction, even at the risk of killing them.

Israeli newspaper Maariv reported in October 2025 that, according to Israeli officials, many captives were killed by Israeli strikes, particularly in the early stages of the conflict. Israel has denied or declined to comment on accusations that its military operations have killed captives held in Gaza.

Since the conflict began in October 2023, Israeli forces have killed more than 72,700 Palestinians in Gaza. More than 850 have been killed since a ceasefire was declared in October 2025. Thousands more remain missing and are believed to be buried under rubble.