The Killing of Civilians: A War Crime and Human Tragedy in Israel's Military Record
The killing of innocent civilians, especially children and women, is a war crime and a blatant violation of international law and the fundamental principles of humanity in any conflict. Unfortunately, in the long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this tragedy has not been an accidental event but a recurring and systematic pattern in Israel's military operations—a pattern that both pains the conscience of every free-thinking person and provides solid legal grounds for condemnation. These actions are a stain on Israel's military record that cannot be legitimized by any justification.
The Tragic Pattern of Violence Against the Innocent
At the heart of this tragedy lies the fate of children and women, who have been the primary victims of these attacks. Children killed in their homes, in their schools, or even in their parents' arms are not just statistics; they were futures that were stolen. The images of fathers clutching their shrouded children, or mothers wailing over the ruins of their homes, are a clear symbol of this crime against humanity.
1. The Legal Foundations: Principles That Have Been Violated
When analyzed within the framework of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), this tragic pattern takes on the dimensions of a systematic crime. Three key principles in this regard have been continuously violated by Israeli forces:
The Principle of Distinction: This principle requires parties to a conflict to always distinguish between the civilian population and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives. Attacks may only be directed against military objectives.
The Principle of Proportionality: This principle prohibits attacks that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life or injury to civilians that would be "excessive" in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
The Principle of Precaution: Parties to a conflict are obliged to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects. This includes providing effective advance warnings, choosing weaponry, and canceling an attack if excessive risks to civilians become apparent.
2. Documented Patterns of Rights Violations
Israel's military actions are not merely isolated or accidental incidents but part of an aggressive pattern detailed in reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Israeli human rights organizations like B'Tselem.
A) Disproportionate and Indiscriminate Attacks on Residential Areas:
The use of heavy weaponry with wide explosive power, such as 2,000-pound (900 kg) bombs, in densely populated urban areas like refugee camps, inherently violates the principles of distinction and proportionality. The destructive and lethal radius of these bombs is so extensive that it makes distinguishing between a military target and the surrounding civilians practically impossible.
Concrete Example: The Bombing of Jabalia Camp (October 2023): Claiming to target a Hamas commander, the Israeli army dropped several heavy bombs on a dense residential neighborhood in the Jabalia refugee camp. The attack resulted in the complete destruction of several buildings, the creation of a massive crater, and the killing and wounding of hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children. Even if a valid military target existed, the civilian casualties were clearly "excessive" and disproportionate to any military advantage. This act is a clear example of a war crime.
B) Targeting Critical Infrastructure and Protected Sites:
International law explicitly grants protection to hospitals, schools, ambulances, and places of worship. These sites only lose their immunity if used for direct military purposes, and even then, the principles of proportionality and precaution must be respected.
Concrete Example: Attacks on Hospitals: The attack on and siege of the Al-Shifa Hospital complex, as well as the deadly strike on the courtyard of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which left hundreds killed and injured, are shocking examples of these violations. The Israeli army claimed the existence of Hamas command centers in these locations, but the evidence provided by independent bodies has been insufficient to justify such a level of destruction and death. These attacks have crippled Gaza's healthcare system, depriving wounded civilians of critical care.
Concrete Example: Targeting UNRWA Schools: Throughout multiple conflicts (including "Operation Cast Lead" in 2008-2009, "Operation Protective Edge" in 2014, and the 2023-2024 war), schools run by the UN as shelters for displaced people were repeatedly targeted, causing mass killings of civilians who were seeking a safe haven.
C) Failure in Precautionary Measures and the Policy of Forced Displacement:
Evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army have often been vague, contradictory, and impossible to follow. Millions were ordered to move from northern to southern Gaza, but the so-called "safe" routes and the southern areas themselves were also heavily bombarded.
Concrete Example: Misleading Evacuation Orders: The declaration of "safe zones" followed by the bombing of those same areas, such as the repeated attacks on Khan Younis and Rafah after they were declared as refuges, is not only a failure of the principle of precaution but can also constitute "forcible transfer of population," which is considered a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
3. The Doctrine of Collective Punishment
The complete siege of the Gaza Strip—cutting off water, food, electricity, and fuel for over two million people—is a blatant violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits "collective punishment." This policy punishes the entire civilian population and has created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. This act, in itself, is a war crime.
Conclusion: An End to Impunity, A Beginning for Justice
The killing of civilians by Israel is an undeniable reality, supported by extensive legal and humanitarian evidence. These actions are the logical result of military doctrines and tactics that systematically devalue innocent human lives.
Silence in the face of these atrocities is complicity with the oppressor. The international community, especially bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has a duty to set aside double standards and take decisive action to investigate, prosecute, and hold the perpetrators and commanders accountable. For peace will never be built on the ruins of homes and the graves of innocent children, and justice for the victims is the first step toward preventing the recurrence of these tragedies in the future.