General
Friday Briefing: How Israel Weakened Civilian Protections
Plus, video games can’t afford to look this good.
One of the first buildings destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on Oct. 7, 2023.Credit…Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times
How Israel weakened civilian protections to bomb Hamas
In past conflicts with Hamas, Israel approved many strikes only after officers concluded that no civilians would be hurt. That procedure changed after the Oct. 7 attack, allowing Israel to mount one of the deadliest air wars of the century.
A Times investigation found that Israel changed its rules of engagement so the military could endanger up to 20 people in each airstrike against Hamas fighters. This shift let it target even rank-and-file militants when they were at home with relatives and neighbors, instead of only when they were alone outside. On a few occasions, strikes on Hamas leaders were approved even though they would each put more than 100 noncombatants at risk — crossing an extraordinary threshold for a contemporary Western military.
Here are the key takeaways from our investigation.
Yemen: The Israeli military launched a significant air assault on parts of the country controlled by the Houthi militia. Some analysts say the conflict may turn into a long-distance war of attrition.
Syria: Its new government is hunting a senior official from the Assad dictatorship and military forces loyal to the ousted president.
