What does IDF's first war crimes report mean for Israel's global accountability? – analysis

The IDF's first official war crimes report, released Wednesday, detailed updates on five of 150 criminal probes into soldiers' conduct during the Israel-Hamas War. While critics argue the report is "too little too late" and that 150 probes are inadequate given the scale of Palestinian casualties, the report marks an important start. Two cases involve soldiers and commanders facing questioning under criminal caution, potentially leading to indictments, a rare but not unprecedented occurrence. The article notes that criminal interrogations, even without convictions, serve a deterrent effect. The delay in publication is attributed to intense global criticism and domestic pressure on legal officials, exemplified by the "Sde Teiman saga" where a former IDF legal chief faced severe backlash for attempting to prosecute soldiers. The report acknowledges numerous errors leading to civilian deaths, emphasizing the complexity of urban warfare. Future reports will need to address a larger number of cases to improve Israel's global accountability.