Gaza and the Conduct of Urban War: Civilian Harm, Risk, and Responsibility

The immense scale of civilian death in the Gaza war was not an unavoidable outcome of urban combat but rather the result of specific institutional choices. Israeli targeting practices consistently prioritized the safety of its own forces by defining military objectives broadly and shifting risk onto the Palestinian population. This approach contrasts with other modern militaries, where uncertainty in combat is supposed to tighten restraint rather than license greater destruction. Evacuation orders further compounded the crisis by compressing civilians into densely packed areas that continued to be bombed, undermining claims that all precautions were taken.