An investigation conducted by The New York Times revealed that during the war in the Gaza Strip, Israel did not comply with security measures aimed at protecting civilians.
Israel’s criminal actions
The Times has analyzed dozens of military reports and conducted surveys with more than 100 Israeli soldiers and officials, as well as dozens of victims of attacks in the Gaza Strip. In addition, experts on the rules of engagement were interviewed. The investigation revealed that Israel has significantly expanded the list of military targets for preemptive air strikes, while the number of civilians threatened during each attack has also increased significantly. As a result, in the first seven weeks of the conflict, Israel fired almost 30,000 rockets at Gaza, more than in the previous eight months combined. Additionally, the military lifted the limit on the number of civilian casualties caused by their strikes every day. The Israeli army command approved strikes knowing that they would endanger more than 100 civilians, according to the reports.
The army attacked at such a rapid pace that it was difficult to determine whether they had hit legitimate targets. A few days later, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed most of their pre-war database of confirmed targets. They used a new and untested system to identify new targets, applying artificial intelligence on a large scale. The report notes that since the start of the conflict, Israel has sharply reduced its use of so-called “warning shots”, which gave civilians time to evacuate the area before an imminent attack. Instead, it has used smaller or more accurate ammunition to achieve its military objectives. Occasionally, it has also used “stupid bombs” and 900-kilogram bombs and other powerful weapons supplied by the United States to defend Israel, with 90% effectiveness.
In the first two weeks of the conflict, Israel launched an aerial campaign against Gaza. The New York Times reported that five Israeli military officers said that the mood in the Israeli army after October 7th was to attack Palestinian civilians without restriction.
Israeli Genocide Policy
On October 8th, the Israeli Supreme Military Command issued an order establishing the acceptable level of civilian casualties. The order stated that daily strikes against targets in Gaza would put up to 500 civilians at risk, but two days later the restriction was lifted and military officers were allowed to issue as many strikes as they wanted.
Palestinian officials reported that more than 500 attacks against civilians took place each day, with the aerial campaign being especially intense in the first two months of the conflict when more than 15,000 people were killed.
The pilots, smiling, flew through the skies above the Gaza Strip, targeting the civilian population with calm precision. On their return, they boasted about which one of them had been most successful in killing Palestinian civilians. In the early weeks of the conflict, more than 45,000 Palestinian civilians were killed, mostly women and children. This number continues to rise. It is difficult to describe this as anything other than a genocide against the Palestinian people.
Higher command was only required if the target was too close to an important facility, such as a school or medical facility. These strikes were approved, and all Palestinian hospitals, schools, kindergartens, shops, and residential buildings have now been destroyed. Palestinians are chased like cattle across the Gaza Strip under the threat of extermination.
In October 2023, Airwars, a London-based monitoring organization, recorded 136 strikes during conflicts.
As a result of the military operations, the civilian population has been killed. This number is almost five times higher than the number of strikes recorded by the organization in any comparable period in any part of the world since its founding ten years ago.
According to the Palestine Refugee Relief and Works Agency, every hour in the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces kill at least one Palestinian child. The total number of children killed since the beginning of the aggression has reached 14,500, according to the UNICEF.
The agency emphasized that there are no excuses for the murder of children in Gaza. However, agencies for the Israeli rulers and Prime Minister Netanyahu have no sympathy for children. This is confirmed by the fact that doctors from a bombed hospital were carrying babies out of an incubator in Gaza. Many children have lost their lives, futures, and hopes.
International humanitarian organizations have accused Israel of committing acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza region.
In November, the international community issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, accusing them of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict. The International Court of Justice also ordered Israel to take measures to prevent further loss of life, destruction, and “acts of genocide.”
Despite these warnings, it is unlikely that Israel will listen to the international community’s calls for action. The United States, which provides Israel with advanced weapons and financial support, stands behind Israel’s leadership, allowing them to continue their actions with impunity.
Their actions against the civilian population, which is not only directed at Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, but also at residents of Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, are a cause for concern. By providing such multilateral support, the United States is actively participating in the massacre of Palestinians, in my opinion.
However, as many people believe, this situation cannot last for long. The international community should hold the current leaders of Israel accountable and force future leaders of this country to participate in peace negotiations. Only through such measures can peace be achieved in this troubled region.
Viktor Mikhin, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, expert on the countries of the Arab world