Social media users criticise 'sympathising' report on Israeli army soldiers

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CNN is facing significant backlash for an article discussing the mental health of Israeli soldiers who served in Gaza, where they reportedly ran over Palestinians “dead and alive, in the hundreds” using bulldozers.

The article, titled "‘He got out of Gaza, but Gaza did not get out of him’: Israeli soldiers returning from war struggle with trauma and suicide," published on Monday, includes interviews with the family and colleagues of an Israeli soldier who died by suicide following a deployment in Gaza.

Eliran Mizrahi, who took his own life in June, pictured in Gaza. Eliran Mizrachi Family

Critics on social media have accused CNN of attempting to humanise Israeli soldiers while neglecting the legal and humanitarian implications of their actions amid accusations of genocide and war crimes against Palestine.

Jehad Abusalim, director of the Institute for Palestine Studies, expressed his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "While these murderers commit some of the most horrific acts of genocide... Western media outlets like CNN run stories that humanise these criminals."

Abusalim further lamented the lack of coverage on Palestinian casualties, saying, "Their deaths are barely mentioned, reduced to mere numbers without stories, names, or vulnerabilities to evoke empathy."

The report centres around Eliran Mizrahi, a D9 bulldozer driver, whose role included clearing bodies and debris. Critics pointed out that details about Mizrahi's work with bulldozers only appeared late in the article.

Mizrahi, a reservist diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), took his own life on June 7, 2024, following a call-up to combat in the Gaza Strip. His family claims that IDF has refused to recognise him as a fallen soldier, thereby denying him a military burial.

The article features comments from Mizrahi's friend, Guy Zaken, who claimed that soldiers ran over "terrorists, dead and alive, in the hundreds." Zaken recounted his struggles with the aftermath of witnessing bodies crushed by military vehicles, stating that he could no longer eat meat due to the traumatic memories.

Critics highlighted that such statements dehumanise Palestinian victims, as one user pointed out, "Never mind the Palestinians crushed alive... just please be careful if the suicidal thoughts of the Israeli soldiers may bother you."

The article does not clarify the identity of those being run over, mentioning only that Zaken maintains the majority were "terrorists." This omission raised concerns regarding violations of international humanitarian law, which prohibits means and methods of warfare causing superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.

According to established international law, wounded combatants are entitled to prompt medical treatment, yet the report makes no reference to potential legal violations.

Social media users also denounced the article as emblematic of a broader pattern in Western media, which they believe dehumanises Palestinians and justifies military actions. One critic stated, "It's hard to overstate how thoroughly contemporary framings of war trauma hinge on - and enable - the violence and dehumanization of occupation."

In a video on TikTok, another user suggested that a more appropriate headline for the article would have been, "IOF [Israeli Occupation Forces] soldier admits to running over hundreds of people with a bulldozer." Many commentators noted that an editor's note warning readers about mentions of suicide did not address the violent descriptions of actions taken against Palestinians.

Trigger Warning: This story contains graphic details of suicide and violence that may be distressing to some readers