(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Warfare in densely populated areas presents complex operational, ethical, and legal challenges, as experienced by the IDF in recent years in its campaigns against Hizbullah and Hamas. Armed conflicts elsewhere in the world are encountering similar dilemmas. There is a need to grapple with the challenges of warfare in order to find the correct balance between the needs of the fighting forces and the need to protect the uninvolved civilian population. This issue of Military and Strategic Affairs includes: "The Challenges of Warfare Facing the IDF in Densely Populated Areas" by Gabi Siboni; "The Challenges of Fighting in Densely Populated Areas: The Israeli Case" by Arnon Soffer; "Asymmetrical Warfare in the Gaza Strip: A Test Case" by Dan Harel; "Principles of Warfare in the Densely Populated Areas of Arab Non-State Entities" by Shaul Mishal; "How Challenges of Warfare Influence the Laws of Warfare" by Eyal Benvenisti; "Legal Dilemmas in Fighting Asymmetrical Conflicts" by Pnina Sharvit Baruch; and "Lawfare: The Legal Front of the IDF" by Avihai Mandelblit.
2012-06-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive