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How the IDF Is Reducing Civilian Casualties in Gaza

(JNS) Yaakov Lappin - The Israel Defense Forces is making great efforts to limit civilian casualties in its war against Hamas, despite the terror group's core strategy of embedding itself in the heart of civilian areas and sites. A sophisticated control center at the IDF Southern Command monitors and evaluates the situation in Gaza in real time. The system divides Gaza into 623 blocks, each featuring detailed data on civilian presence, in a continuously updating smart map. The information is made available to air, ground and naval units, and can have a decisive influence on IDF actions. This information is crucial for analyzing the evacuation of Gazan civilians and understanding the distribution of the civilian population. The control center primarily serves a humanitarian purpose, and enables IDF commanders to evaluate how "clean" of civilians a given sector is before launching any kind of strike or maneuver. A senior IDF official said, "The IDF puts a lot of effort in...to make sure that civilians won't be on the battlefield. Unfortunately, we are facing an enemy whose core strategy is to do exactly the opposite." The military has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the immediate humanitarian needs arising from the conflict, facilitating the construction of new pipelines to ensure water access in areas like Khan Yunis and Dir Al-Balah. The IDF has also coordinated the entrance of two field hospitals and the evacuation of injured civilians to these facilities. All of these efforts reflect a concerted attempt to balance the military imperative of dismantling Hamas' army in Gaza against the need to minimize collateral damage as much as possible.
2023-12-07 00:00:00
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