“Deadly bombing in Gaza leaves civilians caught in the crossfire”
The bombing that took place on October 31st in the dense neighborhood of Jabaliya in Gaza has become one of the symbols of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The incident, which resulted in the elimination of a senior Hamas commander, also left dozens of non-involved civilians dead, according to a recent investigation published by the American “Wall Street Journal”.
The bombing, which caught global attention due to its unusual scope, took place in a densely populated residential area, leading to widespread destruction and casualties. President Biden even called on Israel to act to reduce the number of non-involved casualties during the war.
The investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed that the large number of casualties was a result of wrong calculations and partial information provided to the planners. The report claims that Israel decided not to warn civilians about the imminent airstrike for fear of giving militants time to evacuate, and instead used two of the largest bombs in the Israeli arsenal, causing extensive collateral damage.
The bombing almost completely flattened an entire city block and left deep craters where dozens of buildings once stood. While the IDF maintains that it only targets military objectives and invests significant resources to minimize harm to civilians, the severity of the incident has raised concerns about potential international investigation.
Israeli officials blamed Hamas for choosing to operate within dense civilian population centers, while also acknowledging the difficulty of making decisions in the “fog of war”. Despite these claims, legal experts suggest that the incident could still be the subject of a possible investigation by international bodies such as the Hague Tribunal.
The investigation also revealed that the planners of the air force bombing underestimated the potential for structural damage due to the extent of Hamas’ tunnels. This miscalculation led to much more severe damage than expected.
The deadly bombing in Jabaliya has once again highlighted the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict on innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.