At around 5 p.m. on Monday, Israeli warplanes crossed the Syrian border and targeted an embassy building in Damascus, killing several senior Iranian military commanders with remarkable precision. This display of military prowess has solidified Israel’s reputation in the Middle East.
However, just hours later, the same Israeli military made a grave error by launching missiles at an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven foreign aid workers. This misstep has severely damaged Israel’s standing and raised serious questions about its military operations.
The stark contrast between the successful strike in Damascus and the disastrous incident in Gaza has left many wondering how such a highly trained military could make such a fatal mistake. This has prompted scrutiny of Israel’s rules of engagement in its conflict with Hamas.
Israeli officials have attributed the Gaza incident to the complexities of war, including the presence of civilians, reduced visibility at night, and the fast-moving nature of the target. On the other hand, the Damascus raid was a meticulously planned operation against a stationary target, indicating a high level of approval within the Israeli military and government.
Reports from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps suggest that Israel had precise intelligence about the strike in Damascus, including the presence of key Iranian commanders and Palestinian militants. However, military analysts have expressed skepticism about Israel’s explanations for the Gaza incident, suggesting that it was a result of a trigger-happy approach to engagement.
Yagil Levy, an expert on the Israel Defense Forces, emphasized that the Gaza operation was not a question of accuracy or negligence, but rather a deliberate strategy to target Hamas fighters, even at the expense of civilian immunity.
He also highlighted the challenges of aid convoys in Gaza, where armed locals with ties to militants often guide the shipments, blurring the lines between combatants and civilians. This has led the Israeli military to view some passengers as legitimate targets.
The Israeli strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy has raised significant concerns…
2024-04-04 01:44:39
Source from www.nytimes.com