Two cases of misconduct, one still only alleged, by IDF soldiers who fought in Operation Cast Lead are causing widespread debate and furor in the Israeli army and public.
On Monday, the two former soldiers appeared for their preliminary hearing before sentencing. The two were convicted earlier this month of exceeding their authority, among other charges, for forcing a Palestinian child to open bags that were suspected of being booby-trapped.
Despite the conviction, the two were accompanied by over a hundred friends and former comrades who claimed they were being scapegoated.
Meanwhile, Major General Avichai Mendelblitt has ordered a criminal investigation into the killing of 21 members of one family in an airstrike on Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. An army lawyer criticised the investigation, saying last week that "there is a feeling that there is an interest in achieving high-profile indictments at all costs to prove that the IDF does deal with misconduct in its ranks".