They spoke, too, of the challenge of fighting on unfamiliar ground that is well-known to Hamas and that offered easy opportunities for surprise attacks, despite Israel's military superiority and air power.
Some had not seen Palestinian civilians at all, passing weeks in Gaza without encountering anyone other than small bands of Hamas militants. Others said they had been in close combat almost every day and considered civilians who had ignored Israeli instructions to flee as complicit with Hamas and thus legitimate targets.
Those interviewed also expressed sympathy for civilians and said they had tried to help them.
More than 27,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since 7 October, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian officials. Many thousands more are buried in the rubble. Swathes of Gaza have been destroyed and 1.9 million of its 2.3 million people have been displaced.
Senior military officials have said the offensive could last for many more months, even into 2025.
The soldiers were not authorised to speak to the media and were interviewed by the Guardian on condition of anonymity.
Information about the actual experience of fighting in the conflict has been closely controlled by the Israeli authorities.
Journalists have been barred from Gaza, except for short, carefully supervised trips with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF did not act on repeated requests by the Guardian to speak to serving soldiers who had fought in the Israel-Gaza war.
"The destruction is massive," said one noncommissioned officer (NCO) who was in Gaza for two months with an infantry unit.
"What really blew my mind was that there is nowhere for anyone to come back to. There aren't even three walls connected. It looks like a scene of a zombie attack or something. It's not a war zone.
Denne historien er fra February 08, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra February 08, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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