About 90 percent of the Military Police Criminal Investigations Department (MPCID) investigation files on criminal offenses in which IDF soldiers harmed Palestinians and their property since the eruption of the Second Intifada in September 2000 and until June 2007 were closed without indictment – as indicated by a data sheet published by Yesh Din. The data reflects the IDF’s failure to investigate and indict soldiers who were involved in criminal offenses against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

IDF figures show that over the course of more than seven years, 1,091 criminal investigation files were opened for offenses that included killing and injury of civilians, abuse, damage to property and more. These investigations led to the issuing of only 118 indictments, of which 101 led to the conviction of the defendants. The figures also show that out of 239 investigations into incidents of killing and injuring Palestinians that were not involved in hostile activities, only 16 ended in conviction – less than 7 percent of these investigations.

The data sheet includes a comparison between the number of indictments issued by the Military Advocate General against IDF soldiers accused of committing offenses against Palestinians and the number of indictments issued for other offenses. The comparison shows, among other things, that the number of indictments issued against soldiers on drug-related offenses in 2006 alone was seven-times higher than the number of all indictments filed against IDF soldiers accused of committing criminal offenses against Palestinians and their property during the nearly seven years they were surveyed.