From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 18, 2023
IDF releases videos of airstrikes aborted due to presence of civilians
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF releases footage showing recent aborted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip due to the presence of civilians.
“Hamas sees civilian death as a strategy, we see it as a tragedy, which is why we use many measures to try and minimize the civilian harm and suffering. That is the tragic reality in this war that Hamas started,” says IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in an English-language video statement.
He says the IDF warns civilians before attacks “whenever possible.”
“We abort attacks when we see unexpected civilian presence. We choose the right munition for each target, so it doesn’t cause unnecessary damage,” Hagari says.
“We also recommend civilians to temporarily move away from areas of intense fighting,” he says.
“We know this is hard, but we are trying to save lives. We have also offered international organizations to set up humanitarian zones. We use tactical pauses to allow for the evacuation of civilians, and the distribution of humanitarian aid,” Hagari continues.
He says that Israel “is not restricting the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza.”
“We know civilians in Gaza are suffering. This is because of Hamas’s strategy and tactics, and because Hamas steals the international aid, meant for them,” Hagari says.
“Our intent is to defeat Hamas and secure the release of our hostages. The tragic suffering of civilians in Gaza is not our intent,” Hagari says, adding that “our actions reflect this.”
The IDF releases footage showing recent aborted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip due to the presence of civilians. pic.twitter.com/ATSZNKAyCS
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 18, 2023
