Idf vs. hamas

A terrorist is defined as someone who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, particularly against civilians, to achieve political goals. Hamas fits this definition by deliberately targeting Israeli civilians—for example, the October 7, 2023, attack killed over 1,200, mostly non-combatants—while the IDF aims to neutralize Hamas fighters, not maximize civilian deaths. This intent marks the core distinction between the two.

Hamas routinely embeds itself among civilians, exploiting protected sites like hospitals and schools—actions that violate international law, including the Geneva Conventions (Article 19, IV). The IDF has documented Hamas rocket launches from near Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital and ammunition stored in UN schools, using civilians as human shields to deter Israeli strikes.

Hamas has diverted humanitarian aid to build an extensive tunnel network, estimated at 300–400 miles by 2024, costing millions meant for Palestinian welfare. These tunnels hide fighters, store weapons, and facilitate attacks—like the October 7 infiltration—while Hamas operatives often disguise themselves as civilians, a war crime under the Hague Regulations (Article 23).

Israel and the international community send substantial aid to Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has provided over 1.1 million tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza—1,208,705 tons on 60,841 trucks by December 2024—including food, water, and medical supplies. Despite Hamas’s terror and theft of aid for profit, Israel sustains this flow, proving its war is with Hamas, not civilians. Instead of aiding Gaza’s population, Hamas hoards or resells it at inflated prices, profiting off scarcity while 1.8 million Palestinians face food insecurity, per UN reports.

Gaza’s dense population—over 5,500 people per square kilometer—doesn’t excuse Hamas’s tactics. International law holds Hamas accountable for endangering civilians by using human shields (Protocol I, Article 51(7)), not the IDF for responding. Hamas’s cowardice in hiding among its own people doesn’t grant immunity; it amplifies the tragedy of unavoidable civilian losses in lawful Israeli operations.

The IDF has achieved an unmatched civilian-to-combatant ratio in modern urban warfare, estimated at 1:1 to 1:1.5 in Gaza. Facing Hamas’s human shields and tunnels, this beats historical norms—like the Iraq War’s 1:2 to 1:4—proving Israel’s commitment to minimizing civilian harm despite unprecedented challenges.