Breaking the Silence, an Israeli veterans’ organisation that opposes Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, has published a collection of testimonies from soldiers involved in creating a “buffer zone” in Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

The anonymous testimonies, compiled in a publication titled The Perimeter, describe how soldiers were instructed to raze large areas of Gaza and fire upon Palestinians who approached.

“Residential buildings, greenhouses, sheds, factories; you name it — it needs to be flat. That’s the order,” said one sergeant major who fought near Khan Younis.

Another sergeant stationed in northern Gaza, described how Israeli bulldozers destroyed agricultural fields, including olive groves and crops. “A very large excavator just comes through and takes out all the soil, kind of rolls it up, flattens it,” said the soldier.

A captain stationed in southern Gaza explained that areas around the military-designated security zone effectively became “kill zones” for Palestinians. “Anyone who crosses a certain line, that we have defined, is considered a threat and is sentenced to death,” they said.