Haviv Rettig Gur: Did Israel Intentionally Target Civilians in Gaza?

In this video, Haviv Rettig Gur addresses the difficult question of whether Israel intentionally targeted Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The speaker asserts that Israel did not intentionally target civilians (0:13-0:16), acknowledging the complexities and tragic nature of war fought within civilian populations.

Here are the key points from the video:

• Hamas's Strategy: The speaker highlights that Hamas dug an extensive tunnel system (1:13) under civilian areas, which was a strategic challenge for Israel. Hamas's strategy relied on civilian harm to win the information war (8:44-8:50) and made them an undeterable enemy (2:20-2:33).
• Israeli Efforts to Minimize Civilian Harm:
  • Israel employed a strategy of constant raiding, going in and leaving, partly to minimize civilian harm (1:36-1:42).
  • They established a "harm mitigation unit" (4:03) that made millions of phone calls, sent SMSs, and dropped leaflets with grid maps to warn civilians of impending strikes (4:05-4:27).
  • Soldiers' movements were publicly telegraphed to reduce civilian presence (4:27-4:40).
  • The demolition seen in Gaza was often a function of protecting civilian life by avoiding booby traps set by Hamas (5:11-5:26).
• Critiques and Context:
  • Rettig Gur admits that it is legitimate to say Israel "didn't do enough" to protect civilians (5:44-5:46) and that individual crimes by soldiers likely occurred (6:11-6:17), citing instances of prisoner abuse (6:23-6:50). However, these individual acts do not indicate a policy of intentionally targeting civilians (7:20-7:24).
  • Statistical data from Hamas's own health ministry shows that fighting-age men are overrepresented among the dead by two to three times (8:16-8:40), suggesting Israel was aiming at Hamas operatives, not civilians.
  • The speaker emphasizes that the narrative of intentional targeting is part of a broader, coordinated anti-Israel campaign (10:24-10:59, 11:34-11:42), noting the disproportionate focus on Gaza's casualties compared to other conflicts with higher death tolls (10:34-10:48).

WATCH: Askar - UNRWA: Cradle of Killers

Review of "Askar UNRWA: Cradle of Terror" by Rabbi Leo Dee:

Viewing "Askar UNRWA: Cradle of Terror", the latest short documentary produced by David Bedein and his staff of Jewish and Arab journalists, we see the results of "indiscriminate support" for the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA.

By providing unconditional funding for UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority, rather than support for peaceful Palestinian Arabs whom they abuse, the world funds terror.

This movie shows how UNRWA and the PA educate the next generation of Arab children to hate and murder Jews.

If Israelis and the international community do not wake up to this reality, there will never be peace.

By supporting peaceful Palestinian Arabs to assert control of PLO terrorist organizations, and hate filled UNRWA camps, both Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews will stand a chance at a better life together.

 

Source: Israel National News

WATCH: "Open-Air Prison"? Gaza Before the War

This was Gaza before Hamas declared war on Israel on October 7th. This is what pro-Hamas activists in the West describe as ״open air prison״ or "concentration camp". Gaza was neither of those. 

The "siege" that Israel and Egypt imposed on Gaza was designed to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. Everything else was given free pass, even hundreds tons of cement entered Gaza just to be exploited by Hamas to build its terror tunnels, instead of schools, hospitals or residential buildings. 

The claims that Gaza was a concentration camp is intended to justify the Islamic terrorism of Hamas against innocent Jews. 

Ask yourself: if the people of Gaza were really so poor, why did Hamas waste so many resources on its huge rocket arsenal and terror tunnels? How could they have an army of 40,000 terrorists (members of Hamas)? 

Israel left Gaza in 2005. There was no reason for the Palestinians in Gaza to attack Israel after 2005. Unfortunately, Israel was mistaken in thinking that the Palestinians in Gaza wanted peace. Hamas did not come to power in Gaza by accident. The Palestinians knew very well that that Hamas would not bring economic prosperity or free welfare. They knew that the Hamas wants war as its charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the genocide of Jews. This is why they voted for Hamas and still the majority of the Palestinian public supports Hamas.

I can’t believe they sacrificed all this for a one-day killing and raping spree. I can’t believe they spent so long building a military tunnel network under all this, waiting for the day they could invade, abduct Israelis, then try to hide under this. pic.twitter.com/2XgBxLLzd7

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 18, 2024

WATCH: The Gaza Story: From the Promise to be a Pearl of Tourism - into a Terror Capital

In the midst of the discussion about the day after the war and who will control the Gaza Strip, we return to the days when there was still hope and Gaza was open to Israel and the world. Some dreamed of turning it into a flourishing Riviera on the shores of the Mediterranean. This special project covers everything that has unraveled since then.