Why It's Hard to Believe Israel's Claim That It Did Its Best to Minimize Civilian Deaths | Idan Barir
Among the difficult reports streaming in from Gaza over the past few
weeks, two especially painful events have captured my attention.
The
first was the shelling of a UN school building in Jabaliya, where a
number of families that had escaped or been forced to flee their homes
had taken refuge. At least 15 civilians were killed, and dozens more wounded. Israel argued they were targeting an area from which fire had been directed at Israeli forces.
The second was the bombing of a bustling market in the Shuja'iya neighborhood. At a time of precious few opportunities for civilians to safely buy food and other vital supplies, 16 people were killed and around 200 were wounded. Shops, stalls and merchandise were burned or destroyed.
Harsh
criticism of Israel followed each incident but -- as in the past --
Israel defended its actions, arguing that it was targeting militants and
doing its best to avoid civilian casualties.
I served as a crew
commander in the Israeli artillery corps at the beginning of the Second
Intifada, and I feel compelled to counter this claim from Israel. The
images, evidence and army reports from recent operations in Gaza -- of more than 1,900 deaths (a number which will likely increase by the time you read this) and a large amount of the population left without shelter -- show that Israel has deployed massive artillery firepower. Such firepower is impossible to target precisely.
