Sir John McColl says ‘Israeli soldiers are fighting in conditions of extraordinary complexity and risk. It’s time for the world to have its eyes opened to that.’
By United with Israel
Israel is “doing all it can to save civilians” in Gaza, a former NATO commander recently concluded.
Sir John McColl, who served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2007 to 2011, wrote in an article published last week in British daily The Times that he had “visited Israel with a team of military experts from six Nato countries to see for myself” the situation of the war in Gaza.
“As a career officer, I served for 38 years in the British Army and have been in combat in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, and I was deputy supreme allied commander of Nato,” he noted.
“I have seen war and know how difficult it can be to minimize civilian casualties. But I also know how hard we worked to do just that with our soldiers’ clear rules of engagement. Mistakes were made, but thankfully they were few and far between.
“Basing my views about the Israel-Hamas war on UK media coverage, I arrived in Israel critical and skeptical of their military operations,” he continued.
“Initially we were shown footage taken from Hamas headcams of heads being hacked off with knives and garden hoes, and of women and young children being shot while Hamas fighters laughed and celebrated. The brutality was shocking and a reminder of the depths of the fanatical hatred that stands in the way of any progress.
“Our briefings on IDF operations came from senior field commanders and also included time in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, observing troops in action.
“Firstly let me say that what we, military observers with decades of combined experience in leading Nato armies, were told and saw was the most complex and demanding operational environment any of us had come across, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“The IDF commanders explained that underneath Gaza they have discovered 125 miles of tunnels, but believe that there could be in excess of 310 miles. The areas they have cleared have tunnel shaft entrances in houses, in children’s bedrooms, mosques, schools and hospitals. The tunnels are used for fighters to move around the urban areas, appearing behind and on the flanks of troops. Suicide bombers are a constant threat. Many of the houses and tunnel entrances are booby-trapped and civilians are used as human shields.
“It means that in the confusion, regrettably, errors will occur. But the real problem is whether soldiers’ rules of engagement adhere to the law of armed conflict, whether they are being applied strictly, and whether when mistakes occur they are investigated thoroughly.
“Our briefing from the independent military legal directorate laid out in detail the rules designed to protect civilian life. The procedures are at least as rigorous as those applied in the UK armed forces. In addition, the Israeli military carries out civilian evacuations of war zones, forgoing the element of surprise, to which it would be entitled in armed conflict.
“Phone calls and text messages to Gazan residents, loudhailers, leaflet drops and ‘knocking’ on the roofs of targeted buildings with small non-lethal munitions to warn of an imminent strike are part of the IDF’s tactics to minimize civilian casualties.
“Accompanying troops in Rafah we found that the rules of engagement were being adhered to rigorously and that a significant number of engagements were being aborted because the clearance of civilians could not be verified.”
McColl also wrote, “The perspectives that we gained were as a result of a relatively short visit; they are not comprehensive or definitive. However, they do indicate that there is balance missing in the reporting of events in Gaza.”
He concluded by noting, “I came away from the trip satisfied that the IDF’s operations and rules of engagement were rigorous compared to the British Army and our western allies.”
“War is terrible, but sometimes necessary. And Israeli soldiers are fighting in conditions of extraordinary complexity and risk. It’s time for the world to have its eyes opened to that.”
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!