The Israeli military relaxed its rules of engagement at the start of the Gaza war, allowing commanders to order attacks on targets despite an increased risk of civilian casualties.
According to a report by the New York Times on Thursday, after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led gunmen, the military empowered mid-ranking officers to strike a variety of military targets, even if it could result in the deaths of up to 20 civilians.
This order permitted the military to target lower-ranking militants in their homes, surrounded by family and neighbors, rather than only when they were alone outside, the report added.
The report was based on interviews with over 100 soldiers and officials, including more than 25 individuals involved in selecting and vetting targets.
The New York Times claimed that the Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The report said the military acknowledged that the rules of engagement had changed after October 7 but said its forces had “consistently been employing means and methods that adhere to the rules of law”.
The Hamas-led attack on communities around the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken as hostages into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s ground and air campaign in response has killed more than 45,000 people and wounded more than 107,000, according to Gaza health ministry figures, displaced most of the 2.3 million population and laid waste to much of the coastal enclave.
In addition to raising the number of civilian casualties that could be risked in a single attack, the New York Times said the military removed a limit on the cumulative number of civilians that its strikes could put at risk each day.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/israeli-military-loosened-rules-of-engagement-at-start-of-gaza-war-risking-civilian-casualties-report-13847815.html.
