Officers serving along Gaza’s so-called yellow line say the Gaza Division commander, Brig. Gen. Liron Batito, has ordered a new way of applying opening-fire rules. According to the officers, the practice in recent weeks has shifted from treating any adult who crosses the line as a lethal target to a procedure for detaining a suspect, ending at most with fire aimed at the legs.
The IDF rejected that account, saying there has been no change in the opening-fire regulations. In a statement, the army said troops in Gaza are both allowed and required to remove any threat, while doing their best to avoid harming uninvolved civilians.
Still, several officers and commanders told ynet that the rules on the ground have changed in practice. They said Batito toured outposts and explained that the move followed several incidents that drew criticism, including the shooting of a Palestinian using crutches and another incident in which the army killed two humanitarian aid truck drivers near the yellow line. The officers said daily attempts are made to approach or cross the line, and not everyone who crosses is necessarily a terrorist or an
