An investigation by The New York Times has found that Israel severely undermined civilian protections during its recent bombing campaign against Hamas fighters in Gaza. The Israeli military increased the threshold for pre-emptive strikes to harm civilians, expanded its list of targets, and removed limits on how many civilians could be put at risk each day.
Key findings include:
* Israel raised its threshold for civilian harm per strike from 10 to 20 civilians, before reducing it in certain contexts.
* The military increased the number of low-ranking fighters targeted, as well as those indirectly involved in military matters.
* Officers were allowed to cumulatively risk killing up to 500 civilians a day in pre-planned strikes.
* The pace of the bombing campaign was intense, making it difficult to vet targets properly.
* Israel used simplistic statistical models to assess civilian harm and dropped large, inaccurate bombs.
* An artificial intelligence system helped officers analyze and sign off on targets more quickly.
These changes have raised concerns about Israel’s commitment to protecting civilians in war. The Israeli military acknowledged changes to its rules of engagement but claimed they were made in response to an unprecedented military threat and always complied with the laws of war.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/12/26/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-strikes-takeaways.html