The unthinkable atrocities perpetrated by Hamas against civilians in southern Israel have left Israel feeling it has no choice but to eradicate the terrorist organization to ensure the country’s safety.
But can Israel do that without dehumanizing the citizens of Gaza and justifying the death of innocents?
On October 7, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel. They not only murdered entire families but, in many cases, tortured their victims, beheading people and burning them alive.
In one incident, they even cut open a pregnant woman’s belly, removing the baby, showing her the child and then leaving both of them to die.
Hamas also took at least 200 people captive, including older people and children.
Israel’s aerial counterstrikes at Hamas terror infrastructure and the assassination of top commanders have drawn broad international support.
But the civilian deaths that have accompanied the bombings and the fleeing families, who amount to half the population, who have no real place to run to, have caused Israel’s supporters to pause and question the toll.
Can Israel restrain itself from undue harm to innocent Gazans?
WHERE IS the line in an existential war between decimating the enemy and unduly harming innocent people under their control?
The international community was struck in particular by Israel’s decision to cut electricity, fuel, food, and, initially, water. The lack of electricity, however, has meant that water cannot be purified, and thus the United Nations has stated that they have no choice but to drink dirty water or die of dehydration.
Dr. Michel Thieren, the World Health Organization’s representative to Israel, pointed out that responding to a catastrophe with another humanitarian disaster is not a viable solution.
While Israel is working to dismantle Hamas, Thieren said it’s essential to ensure that Gazan citizens continue to have access to the fundamental elements necessary for survival, such as food, water, and healthcare.
Dehumanization is a psychological phenomenon in which adversaries perceive each other as lacking basic humanity.
This leads to denying moral consideration – for example, how the Nazis viewed Jews or the Hutus in Rwanda viewed the Tutsis.
And the way Hamas views Israelis.
Within the two million residents of Gaza, it is unjust to label all of them as evil, justifying their persecution.
Numerous individuals in Gaza, much like us, have experienced dehumanization at the hands of Hamas. Israelis, who have suffered decades of Hamas terror themselves, should be the most empathetic toward their difficult circumstances, even while still taking the actions required to protect ourselves.
The human cost of the Gaza war was evident on Tuesday night when a failed rocket attack launched in a civilian area by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad led to at least dozens of deaths of patients being treated at the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza.
As the world quickly pointed a finger at Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked to refocus attention on those responsible.
“The entire world should know: It was brutal terrorists in Gaza who attacked the hospital in Gaza and not the IDF. Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their children,” Netanyahu declared.
HAMAS HAS also impeded residents from moving into southern Gaza to escape Israeli bombings. Israel’s efforts to coordinate with Egypt and the United Nations to establish a humanitarian corridor for Palestinian civilians were met with resistance due to concerns by Egypt that Hamas terrorists would enter their country.
Palestinians are also nervous that they will be blocked from ever returning once they leave.
Dr. Dorit Nitzan, former European Region Health Emergencies coordinator for WHO, noted that Hamas’s war preparations should have included a safety plan for its citizens.
“Hamas planned this war, and they should have had a plan to save their people,” said Nitzan, the director of the master’s degree program in emergency medicine at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba.
“This is on Hamas, and the world has to admit it.”
However, Israel cannot respond to Hamas’ disregard for its population in a similar manner. The nation must maintain a military and a humanitarian approach, ensuring that its actions prioritize the safety and security of Gaza’s citizens, hospitals, schools, and places of worship.
That is likely a difficult step in war, Thieren explained.
“The situation now is that the military logic gives no space to the humanitarian logic,” Thieren contended. “No one is saying to forget what happened on October 7 – the impact, the grief is unprecedented.
Yet, for more than 10 days, there is no humanitarian option. For 180 years, since the battle of Solferino [in Italy], you have international humanitarian law, and there is a need for protecting people who are wounded and civilians.”
Israeli self-interest should also constrain its actions, as its steps in Gaza can backfire and harm its population.
Diseases recognize no borders. Interrupting the water supply to Gaza or the fuel essential for the desalination plant, which forces the population to consume water tainted with sewage or impurities, also leads to the proliferation of diseases. The rodents in the streets of Gaza may migrate to Israel and pose a risk to the border towns that have already endured considerable hardship.
And at the same time, Israel has to be concerned by the larger global picture.
Eliminating Hamas is paramount for Israeli and Jewish security and should be seen as a significant aspect of the global fight against terrorism. Several security analysts have emphasized that terrorist groups worldwide are closely monitoring the situation, and Israel’s approach and success in handling it could influence their future actions.
“If we stop right now, it is the end of Israel,” Nitzan said. “Hamas does not want us here. If we had not stopped them in Ashdod and Ashkelon, they would have gone to Tel Aviv.”
If Hamas is effective here, other terror groups will likely adopt their playbook.
The world should effectively unite against Hamas on all fronts, she said.
Nitzan added, “I would like to see the international community united at stopping Hamas… The World Health Organization has an urgent role to play, and it must begin fulfilling it today.”
Nitzan also urged the international community, including relevant authorities and organizations, to work tirelessly to secure the immediate release of all hostages and ensure their safe return to their respective communities.
Gazans themselves have something to gain here.
If Hamas was effectively removed from power in Gaza, it could pave the way for the international community to assist in its reconstruction. Israelis, like the rest of the world, should want the millions of people who reside there to have better lives.
The removal of Hamas is the only way Gazans can return to their homes without fear of bombings and internal Hamas repression. It is also the only hope for peace between Gaza and Israel. ■
The writer is deputy CEO – strategy and innovation for The Jerusalem Post and a senior correspondent. She also co-hosts the Inside Israeli Innovation podcast.