Surprised by Oct. 7 and fearful of another attack, Israel weakened safeguards meant to protect noncombatants, allowing officers to endanger up to 20 people in each airstrike. One of the deadliest bombardments of the 21st century followed.The New York Times reports that on October 7, 2023 at exactly 1 p.m., Israel’s military leadership issued a groundbreaking order that sparked one of the most intense bombing campaigns in recent warfare. This order granted mid-ranking Israeli officers the unprecedented authority to strike thousands of militants and military sites that were not previously considered a priority in Gaza. This meant that officers could now target not only senior Hamas commanders, arms depots, and rocket launchers, but also lower-ranking fighters.
The most significant aspect of this order was that officers were given the authority to risk killing up to 20 civilians in each strike. This was a major departure from previous conflicts with Hamas, where strikes were only approved if officers were certain that no civilians would be harmed. In some cases, officers were only allowed to risk killing up to five civilians, and rarely did the limit exceed 10. However, the military leadership believed that Israel was facing an existential threat, which led to the change in rules of engagement.
According to a senior military officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the order had no precedent in Israeli military history. It allowed officers to target rank-and-file militants even when they were at home surrounded by relatives and neighbors, instead of only when they were alone outside. This shift in strategy was a significant change from previous campaigns, where the focus was on high-value targets and minimizing civilian casualties.
The order, which has not been reported before, was a reflection of the gravity of the situation and the perceived threat to Israel’s security. It gave mid-ranking officers a level of autonomy and responsibility that they had never had before, and it was a clear indication of the seriousness of the conflict. The military leadership believed that this was necessary to effectively combat the threat posed by Hamas and protect the safety of Israeli citizens.
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