THE Israeli military loosened its rules of engagement at the start of its war on Gaza to allow officials to kill “up to 20 civilians” per strike, according to a new investigation.
The New York times reported on Thursday that immediately after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, the military raised the number of civilian casualties that could be risked in a single attack, including giving mid-ranking officers the authority to target lower-level militants while they were at home surrounded by relatives and neighbours.
The newspaper said the report was based on interviews with more than 100 soldiers and officials – 25 of whom helped select and vet targets.
The Israeli military told The New York Times that the rules of engagement had changed after October 7 but said they had "consistently been employing means and methods that adhere to the rules of law".
The newspaper also reported that the Israeli military removed the limit on the cumulative number of civilians that its strikes could put at risk each day – sometimes approving strikes they knew put as many as 100 civilian lives at risk
It comes as Israel has killed more than 45,400 people and wounded more than 107,000 according to Gaza health ministry figures.
And on Friday, Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the northernmost part of Gaza , forcing many of the staff and patients out of the facility.
The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff.
Israel’s military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and fighters in the area of the hospital, without providing details.
It repeated claims that Hamas fighters were operating inside Kamal Adwan, though it provided no evidence.
Hospital officials have denied the accusations.
The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to assemble in the hospital yard and remove their clothes amid the winter temperatures.
They were led out of the hospital, some to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid earlier this week.
The ministry said troops set fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including the hospital’s lab and surgery department. It said 25 patients and 60 health workers remained in the hospital out of 75 patients and 180 staff who had been there.
Since October, Israel has virtually sealed off the north Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and levelled large parts of the districts.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out, but thousands are believed to remain the area, where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located.
Troops raided Kamal Adwan earlier in October, and on Tuesday troops stormed and evacuated the nearby Indonesian Hospital.
The area has been cut off from food and other aid for months, raising fears of famine. The UN says Israeli troops had only allowed four humanitarian deliveries to the area from December 1-23.
