Israel Faces Scrutiny for Gaza Strikes Amid Claims of Civilian Risk Increase
An investigation by The New York Times has raised significant concerns about Israel’s military tactics in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on October 7. The report suggests that Israel compromised its safeguards, allowing for a greater likelihood of civilian casualties through modified rules of engagement.
Israel’s military admitted to altering its approach, citing unprecedented threats. However, the investigation highlights alarming changes, including an increase in the acceptable number of civilian casualties per strike—from fewer than 10 to potentially over 100, depending on the context.
The scope of targeted operations expanded drastically. Israel shifted from targeting primarily senior Hamas leaders and weapon depots to including thousands of lower-ranking operatives and individuals indirectly involved with military activities. In a particularly controversial strategy, military leaders briefly permitted operations that could risk up to 500 civilian lives daily, though they later removed this limit altogether.
The pace of the bombing campaign intensified, with Israel reportedly launching around 30,000 munitions in just seven weeks, far surpassing U.S. bombing efforts against ISIS in a similar timeframe. This rapid escalation of attacks compromised the military’s ability to properly vet targets, as officials relied on simplistic statistical models to estimate civilian presence, often based on cellphone usage in areas of interest.
Moreover, the use of larger, less accurate bombs increased, with a marked decline in the deployment of smaller "roof knock" munitions designed to warn civilians of impending strikes. For the first time, Israel integrated artificial intelligence systems into its targeting process, thereby hastening the decision-making for strikes, although this sometimes led to strikes based on outdated intelligence.
As the conflict continues, these revelations raise pressing questions about the ethical implications of military strategies employed by Israel in Gaza.
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Photo credit www.nytimes.com
