An Israeli soldier from the 8717 Battalion of the Givati Brigade has been reported making incendiary statements about burning schools in Gaza and assaulting teachers, expressing, "Next year we'll burn the school and beat up all the teachers, too. May they die all these trash terrorists." This account, alongside others, highlights a pattern of behavior targeting Palestinian educational institutions and neighborhoods. Social media posts and videos by Israeli soldiers have surfaced, showcasing deliberate actions to set fire to schools in Gaza with comments such as, "It’s very fun to watch schools burn in the Gaza Strip," using derogatory language against Palestinians and Arabs. Additionally, the Israeli military has been involved in demolishing civilian neighborhoods in Gaza to expand a buffer zone, with operations like "OPERATION 8TH CANDLE OF HANUKKAH. THE BURNING OF SHAJAIYYA NEIGHBORHOOD…WE WILL ANNIHILATE THEM TO DUST" leading to significant destruction. These developments have raised concerns over the escalation of violence and the targeting of civilian infrastructure in the conflict.
Gaza city | Torching Shujjaiya Israeli soldiers from the Givati Brigade in Shujjaiya Neighborhood last December. “BUTTERFLY STATIONS, THIS IS COMMAND. WE'RE SETTING OUT TO OPERATION 8TH CANDLE OF HANUKKAH. THE BURNING OF SHAJAIYYA NEIGHBORHOOD…WE WILL ANNIHILATE THEM TO DUST” https://t.co/9bk2uB60iD
🧵Gaza city | Israeli soldier from the Givati Brigade published a video back in December showing the huge destruction and flames erupted from their military’s fire https://t.co/Y9wmjeH1vL
It’s very fun to watch schools burn in the Gaza Strip,” an Israeli soldier joyfully recorded in a TikTok video. https://t.co/AM9191qKtz
Gaza | Israeli military blowing up entire civilian neighborhoods for the buffer zone it is creating in the strip. https://t.co/vWoY9QIq3d
This is what Israel is doing in Gaza https://t.co/qhhn9nyW7x
Israel is wiping out neighbourhoods to increase the buffer zone between Palestinians and the fence inside the Gaza cage https://t.co/yHmOQ3OQ9V
"It is so much fun to watch schools burn in Gaza," an Israeli soldier boasts, using derogatory language against Palestinians and Arabs, as he posts about setting fire to a school in Gaza on his social media account. https://t.co/8MDUOoPSOo
Israeli sergant from the 8717 Battalion of the Givati Brigade. "Next year we'll burn the school and beat up all the teachers, too. Ah, it's so much fun to watch schools burn in Gaza. May they die all these trash terrorists.” https://t.co/zW47jF4iSa