‘Pattern of impunity’ clear in Israeli war crimes probes

Watchdog says investigations ‘fall far short of international standards’, as 88 per cent of cases are closed without charges

- STUTI MISHRA

Israel has closed nearly nine out of 10 investigations into alleged war crimes and abuses by its forces in Gaza and the West Bank without any charges or findings of wrongdoing, according to a report by a conflict monitor.

Data from conflict monitor Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) shows Israel has closed 88 per cent of cases into alleged war crimes and abuses by its forces in Gaza and the occupied West Bank without filing charges or finding wrongdoing.

The organisation examined 52 incidents publicly acknowledged by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or reported in international media between October 2023 and June 2025. These cases accounted for 1,303 Palestinian deaths, 1,880 injuries and two allegations of torture.

AOAV found only one investigation resulted in a prison sentence - a seven-month term for a reservist filmed abusing detainees at Sde Teiman detention centre in February this year.

Five other inquiries concluded violations had occurred, but led only to internal reprimands. The remaining 46 cases seven closed with no findings of fault and 39 still unresolved “suggest a pattern of impunity”, AOAV said in its report.

“These figures show a system that overwhelmingly shields its forces from accountability even in the most serious, public cases,” Iain Overton and Lucas Tsantzouris, the team at AOAV, wrote.