Israeli media: IOF deliberately shooting civilians in the Gaza Strip
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Israeli media reports indicate that Israeli forces are targeting and killing Palestinian civilians who have never been involved with weapons.
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Palestinian children killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip lie in the morgue of a hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, March 29, 2024. (AP)
Israeli media reported on Monday that the Israeli military intentionally targeted unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip, despite posing no threat. The military forces persisted in their actions, resulting in mounting casualty figures.
According to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, based on data from the Israeli military, approximately 9,000 "terrorists" have been targeted since the beginning of the war on Gaza. However, testimonies from Israeli officers, soldiers, and members of the security establishment, as reported by the website, reveal that the majority of those targeted were civilians who did not present any imminent threat.
The newspaper reported that some Palestinians who had no history of involvement with weapons were targeted by the Israeli military under the excuse of targeting "saboteurs". A reserve officer emphasized that the definition of a terrorist has seemingly broadened to include "any person killed by the Israeli army within the combat zone."
Haaretz also highlighted that the Israeli government, from its highest-ranking officials down to its smallest members, adamantly refuses to acknowledge that many of Gaza's residents are not fighters. Additionally, the report emphasized that approximately half of the Strip's population consists of children.
The outlet also highlighted that the repeated targeting of civilians waiting for relief aid in Gaza City by the occupation forces is perceived as a deliberate strategy to exacerbate famine in the Strip.
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An investigation published in late November by +972 Magazine and Local Call revealed that each martyr's death was fully intentional on account that "Israel's" genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip has seen an expansion in the authorization to bomb non-military targets, a loosening of restrictions regarding civilian casualties, and the use of an Artificial Intelligence system, known as "Habsora" ("The Gospel"), to generate more potential targets than before.
This approach has contributed to one of the deadliest military campaigns against Palestinians since 1948, the report says.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) targeting of 'power targets', which refers to residential buildings, public infrastructure, and high-rise blocks, is specifically aimed at exerting pressure on Palestinian civil society and creating a shock that would lead civilians to pressure the Palestinian Resistance.
The investigation indicates that the IOF knowingly approved actions that caused significant civilian casualties in pursuit of "high-profile" targets. It also says that the use of the Habsora AI system allowed for the rapid generation of targets, contributing to a large number of attacks on residential homes, even those without known or apparent ties to resistance groups.
