A shell bursts during Israel's attack on Gaza, January 16, 2009. (Reuters)
A group of Israeli soldiers has contradicted the official army version of its actions and policies during the recent war in Gaza.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has long maintained it did everything during the conflict to prevent civilian deaths or injury.
But 26 regular and reserve soldiers have given testimonies which tell a different story.
The organisation that has published their testimonies, Breaking the Silence, says they show deep concern at the actions of fellow soldiers in Gaza, and challenge Israel's claim to have the world's most moral army.
One first sergeant says that, unlike previous military campaigns, the approach in Gaza was far more brutal.
He says this time the idea was not just a campaign but actual war, in which gloves were taken off.
"Considerations we were used to hearing," he says, "like rules of engagement, attempts not to hurt innocents and the like, were not said this time. On the contrary, soldiers spoke of a lack of any real rules of engagement."
Some spoke of an almost indiscriminate policy of "shoot to kill", even when there was not the slightest threat from the Palestinians.
"At any obstacle, any problem, we open fire and don't ask questions."
Testimonies show Palestinian civilians were killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or doing something seen as suspicious.
Even holding binoculars or talking on a mobile phone was justification for being shot.
One man tells of a fellow soldier who shot dead an unarmed man simply because he wanted to kill someone.
The assumption, said one, was that everyone was a terrorist, so it was legitimate to do as they pleased.
"Usually the commanders mention the lives of civilians and showing consideration to civilians," one man says.
"Here, he didn't even mention this. Just the brutality; go in there brutally."
There was one eyewitness account of soldiers shooting an old man, holding only a torch, who was spotted walking towards a house where soldiers were based.
The usual procedure was to fire a warning shot if someone came too close.
But when soldiers asked permission to fire, they were told to hold off.
"Instead", said one man, "the commander ordered all snipers onto the roof and they shot the man dead."
Humanitarian groups estimate about 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the 22-day conflict and that hundreds of them were civilians.
The soldiers went from house to house to occupy an area and they say they would enter homes firing their weapons, even if they had no idea who was inside.
If there was resistance or fear of attack, soldiers would use Palestinians as a human shield.
"A civilian would be forced to walk in front of a soldier" says this man, "while the soldier places his gun barrel on the civilian's shoulder."
The IDF has condemned the report as lacking in fact or credibility.
Spokeswoman Avital Leibovich says none of the accounts can be proven or investigated because of their anonymous nature.
And she has questioned whether the men are soldiers at all.
"I don't know who they are. I have no idea in which way they were questioned. When you have a report with no fact whatsoever, we cannot do anything with it," she said.
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