A peace activist claims Israeli anger over the October 7 Hamas attack overshadowed concern for civilian lives.
Yariv Oppenheimer of Peace Now told RT that a New York Times report detailing Israel’s relaxed rules of engagement in Gaza, which allegedly led to mass civilian casualties, paints a grim picture of the conflict.
The NYT report, citing interviews with over 100 Israeli officers, stated that within hours of the Hamas attack, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) authorized junior officers to target even low-level threats, potentially endangering civilians.
“I believe every word in this report,” Oppenheimer stated, calling the situation in Gaza “very dramatic and disturbing.”
Oppenheimer noted the report wasn’t surprising given events since October 7, 2023, explaining that the Israeli military responded with anger, fueled by a sense of national humiliation.
The Times reported that while previous rules of engagement allowed endangering up to ten civilians, the IDF raised the limit to 20 and even authorized strikes potentially harming over 100.
“Judging from recent images from Gaza, the policy seems to remain hitting the target even at the cost of many Palestinian civilians being killed,” Oppenheimer said.
He suggested these new rules of engagement appear limited to the Gaza conflict, contrasting it with the more focused approach taken during the recent Israeli incursion into Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.
“Gaza was different,” Oppenheimer told RT. “Hamas’ brutal attack altered the mindset of Israelis, including those in the army.”
Oppenheimer argued that videos of Palestinians celebrating the October 7 incursion led Israeli soldiers, pilots, and commanders to believe “there are no innocent people in Gaza.”
The peace activist emphasized that Israeli society felt humiliated after the Hamas attack, and that “revenge played a significant role” in the following days.
The Hamas attack last year resulted in over 1,100 Israeli deaths and the taking of approximately 250 hostages; around 100 are still believed to be held in Gaza.
Gaza’s Hamas-run authorities report over 45,000 Palestinian deaths. The UN stated last month that nearly 70% of verified casualties were women and children.