Nearly 90% of Israeli military investigations into alleged war crimes or abuses by soldiers since the Gaza war began have been closed without finding fault or remain unresolved, according to a conflict monitoring group.
Among the unresolved cases are the killing of at least 112 Palestinians waiting in line for flour in Gaza City in February 2024, and an airstrike that killed 45 people in a fire at a tent camp in Rafah in May 2024. Another open investigation involves the deaths of 31 Palestinians who were shot by Israeli forces while trying to collect food at a distribution point in Rafah on June 1. Witnesses reported the killings, but the Israeli military initially dismissed the claims as “false” before later telling The Guardian the incident was “still under review.”
Iain Overton and Lucas Tsantzouris of Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) argue that Israel appears to be fostering a “pattern of impunity” by failing to conclude investigations or clear soldiers of wrongdoing in most serious or high-profile cases.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it examines and investigates incidents where there is suspicion of legal violations, in line with Israeli and international law. The military uses internal systems to assess allegations, including criminal probes by military police and fact-finding reviews by a separate team.
While some cases could still lead to prosecutions given the relatively short time since the incidents, AOAV researchers noted that IDF investigations have become “more opaque and slow-moving” as civilian casualties in Gaza have risen.
AOAV identified 52 cases reported in English-language media where the IDF said it had launched or would launch investigations into alleged harm or misconduct by its forces in Gaza and the West Bank between October 2023 and June 2025. These cases involved the deaths of 1,303 Palestinians and injuries to 1,880 others.
Only one case resulted in a conviction: an IDF reservist was sentenced to seven months in prison in February for assaulting bound and blindfolded Palestinian detainees at the Sde Teiman detention center. Five other cases led to disciplinary actions, including the dismissal of two senior officers after an airstrike killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in April 2024. The IDF called the strike a “grave mistake,” though the charity questioned the investigation’s credibility.
Of the remaining 46 cases—88% of the total—seven were closed without fault being found, while 39 are still under review. This includes four deadly incidents last month where Palestinians were killed near food distribution points in Gaza.
The IDF stated that all reports of misconduct are reviewed, with some leading to criminal investigations and others to preliminary inquiries. These are then assessed by a fact-finding team to determine if there is reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior. However, critics, including the human rights group Yesh Din, argue the system lacks transparency and accountability.The FFA’s investigations often take years to complete. Out of 664 inquiries into previous Israeli military operations in Gaza (in 2014, 2018-19, and 2021), only one prosecution is known to have resulted.
By August 2024, the IDF reported that the FFA had gathered information on “hundreds of incidents” linked to the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, the military advocate general’s office had opened 74 criminal investigations.
Of these cases:
– 52 involved detainee deaths or mistreatment
– 13 concerned theft of enemy ammunition
– A smaller number involved alleged war crimes during combat
– Three cases involved “unnecessary destruction of civilian property”
– Six related to “alleged illegal use of force”
The IDF’s figures differ from those tracked by AOAV due to different research methods. AOAV included reports of investigations—whether ongoing or concluded—and covered incidents in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The IDF stated that “dozens of military police investigations have been opened,” with most still ongoing. The FFA, meanwhile, had “finished reviewing dozens of cases,” passing them to the military advocate general for potential criminal investigation.
