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Israeli Pilots Describe Their Determination to Avoid Civilian Casualties in Gaza

(Ynet News) Nechama Douek - Lt. Col. Ram Shmueli, 54, has been a fighter pilot in the Israel Air Force for 36 years. He says, "The moment our country is under attack, there are no dilemmas. If our children are reduced to hiding in bomb shelters, there is no reason we should not be using all methods at our disposal to remove the threat and eliminate those responsible. Rockets into our cities are an insufferable situation, one that no other country in the world would permit." "I have friends in foreign air forces who think that the efforts we take to avoid civilian casualties are outrageous, bordering on irresponsible for a military tasked, first and foremost, with defending its own citizens. Let's be clear: calling and sending text messages to civilians warning them to evacuate a structure, and instructing them on exactly where to go for safety, demands tremendous resources." "You are also providing the enemy with actionable intelligence. The 'knock on the roof' policy is not just a warning to civilians. It is also a statement to the enemy saying 'This is what we plan to do in five minutes, and this is exactly where we plan to do it.' This is obviously a questionable military tactic. It allows Hamas forces to remove rocket launchers from targeted structures, prepare ambushes for IDF forces, or...send civilians into these structures, forcing us to abort important missions, or incur terrible consequences."
2014-07-24 00:00:00
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