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Short answer
Israel is specifically targeting armed Hamas terrorists. The IDF follows a strict code that prohibits it from targeting any civilians. Unfortunately, Hamas forcibly uses other Gazans as human shields, deliberately putting women and children in harm’s way.
Long answer
Israel is specifically targeting armed Hamas terrorists—not Gazan civilians. Despite being forced to engage in densely populated areas against Hamas, which hides behind civilians, the IDF acts according to the rules of International Humanitarian Law, or the law of armed conflict. When it suspects civilians are near a legitimate military target, the IDF warns them to evacuate with phone calls, text messages, leaflets, and other means. It also aborts many operations to avoid harming civilians. In contrast, Hamas forcibly uses other Gazans, including women and children, as human shields and deliberately puts them in harm’s way. Hamas does this to inflate the number of casualties in Gaza in order to provoke outrage against Israel and gain international support, and then it steals humanitarian aid, money, and supplies meant for Gazan civilians. While Israel follows a strict code of ethics in order to preserve human life, Hamas glorifies the death of women and children martyrs for its terrorist cause.
