“We do not target civilians” — a case study into Israel’s war on terror

7 min readDec 3, 2023

This is the most oft-repeated claim by the democratic, equitable, non-apartheid and law-abiding entity of Israel. It has never targeted civilians in the past, nor is it doing so now.

Disclaimer: Criticising a state doesn’t equate to criticising its civilians as a whole, nor the state’s or the majority of its civilian population’s religious beliefs. Let’s break it down even further, since it’s hard to compute basics these days, with an example. Criticising Saudi Arabia does not equate to Islamophobia. Comprende? Shall we proceed?

Let’s.

When confronted with irrefutable evidence of its recurrent actions to the contrary, Israel retreats to the timeless and all-too-familiar catchphrase, a universal excuse employed for every conceivable circumstance. These four words have become the unparalleled grandmasters of evasion, absolving all accountability. They possess an uncanny ability to baffle, desensitize, and subjugate even the most seasoned Western journalists and reputable news outlets.

In the wake of these four words, living, breathing women, children, and civilians are reduced to mere statistics. They strip an entire population of its identity, extinguishing any lingering shreds of sympathy or empathy towards them. These words wield a power that transcends mere rhetoric; they shape narratives, mould perceptions, and cast a shadow over the human stories buried beneath the statistical facade. If you haven’t guessed it yet, these four words are:

To understand the true power of these fiendishly simple words, we will now delve into the riveting world of a seasoned and formidable Western journalist, John Doe. Picture this: a room where questions fly like arrows, the IDF’s spokesperson, Wac Rriminal, is about to face the relentless scrutiny of a legend in the field. John Doe, with his impeccable line of questioning and interrogation techniques that could make even the most stoic tremble, is here to discuss Israel’s battle against terror and the unfortunate civilian casualties.

This isn’t just any journalist; this is the man who has single-handedly brought down careers with the precision of a surgeon (he will be ending one more today, albeit unintentionally). With a reputation for integrity that stands unassailable and a commitment to unbiased professionalism that sets the standard for aspiring journalists, John Doe is the role model for many in the field.

For brevity’s sake, we’ll refer to the indomitable John Doe as JD and conveniently skip mentioning Wac Rriminal — a touch of poetic justice, if you will. Actually, it’s not all that difficult to work out when he’s speaking. After the metaphorical red carpet has been rolled out (which isn’t a regular occurrence but, hey, some occasions call for it), pleasantries have been exchanged (nope today we won’t be using the ever-popular “Do you condemn…” opening line), and the absurdity dial cranked up to the maximum for good measure, let the questioning commence! Fasten your seatbelts, folks; you’re in for a real teaching!

JD: (this should be an easy one) There are growing concerns from some quarters around the ever-increasing civilian casualties in Gaza. How do you respond to claims that you’re not doing enough to limit these casualties, especially since you have bombed the majority of the city’s residential buildings — buildings, which by most standards, wouldn’t be considered valid military targets under international law?

(good answer, but we’re just getting warmed up yet) But some of these bombings seem to be targeting specific, notable civilians, such as prominent journalists?

(this guy knows what he’s talking about, but so do I) And how would you explain the bombing of commercial towers, offices of news outlets, government buildings, utility providers and telecommunication companies, causing billions of dollars worth of damage?

(touché, time to crank it up a notch) So, presumably, the multitude of mosques, churches and places of worship which are protected under international rules of warfare were also bombed because…

(God, he’s good. But I’m no slouch either) But what about health clinics, hospitals, refugee camps and schools that were bombed repeatedly with no clear evidence of Hamas being anywhere near their vicinity…

(What?! I didn’t see that coming. Come on, get your game face on JD!) OK. But some of these were UN facilities, designated safe zones, or areas where you previously told civilians to evacuate to go so they would be safe. So bombing them after orchestrating mass relocation to these areas…

(such eloquence, how is he so good?!) There are reports that you have snipers shooting at medical staff and patients in hospitals…

(I’m falling apart here, let’s give it one more try) We’ve just received reports of decomposing bodies of babies found in hospitals after the medical staff and patients were forced to evacuate at gunpoint, with medics saying that they couldn’t evacuate more babies due to sniper and drone fire. How would you respond to these claims?

(I give up! Let’s at least ensure that I still stay employed after this debacle) OK. And you bombed the ambulances presumably because there were Hamas terrorists moving between hospitals, sorry I mean terror bases …

(wrap it up before you get wrapped up JD!) Wac Rriminal, thank you very much for your time and for reassuring us that you do not target civilians.

In our illuminating exploration above, we witness the humbling reality that even seasoned Western journalists find themselves ensnared by the spell of the four seemingly innocuous words. These words possess the magical ability to render plausible, conceivable, and dare I say, even attractive and acceptable, the egregious notions of ethnic cleansing and genocide against an entire population.

These four words, simultaneously pervasive and enigmatic, wield a deceptive simplicity that belies their profound effectiveness. They dance on the thin line between comical absurdity and unbelievably potent manipulation. Their influence is so profound that they have managed the improbable feat of altering the perspective of even a staunchly biased individual, such as yours truly.

And now, the veil has been lifted, revealing a stark reality. Contrary to my previous perceptions, Israel, in its operations, does not deliberately target civilians. The unfortunate truth is that in the chaotic crossfire, casualties among non-combatants are inevitable. The reason for this tragic inevitability becomes painfully clear.

These casualties prove uncontrollable when you consider that terrorists constitute nearly half of Gaza’s population, infiltrating every facet of daily life. They seamlessly blend into the very fabric of society, utilizing schools for education, openly playing in the streets without regard for civilians when boredom strikes, and seek refuge in hospitals in moments of vulnerability. Their spiritual quests lead them to mosques and churches. Displacement merely redirects them to refugee camps and safe shelters. Even attempts at truce see them recklessly returning to neighbourhoods that have been completely obliterated.

Their pervasive presence raises a harrowing question: How can one possibly navigate a conflict zone without inadvertently harming innocent civilians when these terrorists are ubiquitous, weaving through the ordinary aspects of life? It’s a chilling conundrum that challenges the very essence of civilian protection in the midst of such widespread intertwining with those who pose a threat. To quote the famous words of Wac Rriminal:

So, I feel it my duty to warn the rest of you terrorist enablers and sympathisers, and to show you the true face of the enemy who’ve sworn to destroy our values and eradicate our way of living. We need to show the world the true face of Hamas, how they openly come out in their hundreds and thousands and celebrate the destruction of Israel. A disclaimer here that some viewers may find the images I’m about to share highly graphic and deeply disturbing. In the pictures below, you can see them performing special dances calling for the destruction of Israel, employing disgraceful tactics such as crying for help and pretending to be the victims, and covering themselves in special dust and red liquidy stuff to carry out death rituals. It has become clear that we should not be fooled by their apparently miniscule size and malnourished forms. This is in no way a result of Israel stopping all water, food, electricity and fuel going into gaza, but is instead a well known tactic of these terrorists to appear weak to lure in the brave IDF soldiers, before attacking them with grass, dirt, sticks and stones which often leave the heroes of Israel traumatized for life and requiring special treatment for many years. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

We see your true face Hamas. We will be fooled no longer.

The following shouldn’t have to be stated, but such is the age and time we live in. Common sense is in very short supply.

Disclaimer (once again just so we’re crystal clear): Criticising a state doesn’t equate to criticising its civilians as a whole, nor the state’s or the majority of its civilian population’s religious beliefs.

“We do not target civilians” — a case study into Israel’s war on terror

Written by M Amir