According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli army has set up a “killing zone” in Gaza, and anyone who enters it will become a legal target. israeli newspapers haaretz citing military sources.

The newspaper quoted a reservist officer as saying that IDF commanders have wide latitude to designate areas with loose rules of engagement where soldiers do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The report noted that this approach could lead to the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

“In each theater, commanders define kill zones,” the source said. “This means clear red lines that no one outside the IDF is allowed to cross so that our forces in the area are not vulnerable.

“As soon as people go in, mostly adult males, they are ordered to shoot and kill someone, even if that person is unarmed.”

Another soldier said superiors ordered troops to shoot at suspects, even at the risk of causing serious collateral damage.

“For our commanders, if we see someone who is not part of our unit in the area of ​​operations, we are told to shoot and kill,” they said.

“We were told clearly that even if a suspect storms into a building that is occupied, we should shoot into the building and kill the terrorist, even if others are injured.”

“Our feeling is that there are no real rules of engagement” and that soldiers will not be held accountable for their killings of Palestinians, a third military source said.

Sources say the “kill zone” policy has led to deadly incidents seen in recent movies, such as the killing of four Palestinians in Khan Younis in multiple air strikes, even though they appeared to be unarmed.

The IDF explained that the killings occurred in an “active war zone.”

The report noted that the alleged policy may also have contributed to the killing of three Israeli hostages who were shot dead by Israeli forces as they waved a white flag near Shujaiya, Gaza City.

Senior military officials explained this as a “mistake,” saying the killings occurred in an active war zone.

this haaretz Reports suggest the use of “kill zones” may be a factor in Gaza’s soaring death toll, which recently topped 32,000, according to data from the Hamas government-affiliated Gaza Ministry of Health, which the United Nations considers reliable. people. .

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in the data it publishes. Israel claims to have killed more than 10,000 Hamas fighters but has provided no evidence.

Israeli military sources have previously said the military is using looser rules of engagement in this war than in previous rounds of conflict.

Former IDF general and national security adviser Yaakov Amidrol told reporters I November: “In the past, if there were rebels in a building, we would do a study three hours ago to see how many civilians might be in the house. Today, we destroyed the building.”

israel magazine +972 report The IDF has significantly expanded its use of artificial intelligence in target selection and relaxed “limits on expected civilian casualties,” leaving the death toll high.

The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A spokesman denied the existence of a kill zone in a statement Haaretz.

“The IDF is waging war against the Hamas terrorist organization and is taking action to thwart threats to its forces,” the spokesman said. “The IDF continues to call on civilians to evacuate intense combat zones and is working to allow civilians to evacuate as safely as possible .”

“Contrary to what is claimed, the IDF does not define a ‘kill zone.’ Support for this comes from the fact that the IDF has arrested large numbers of terrorists or suspected terrorists in combat, without causing any deaths in intense combat zones destroy”.

Amos Yadlin, a former Israeli military intelligence chief and an adviser to members of the government’s war cabinet, did not deny the existence of kill zones but said the accusations showed Israel lacked “an understanding of the rules of engagement in the war against terrorists.”Who doesn’t wear uniform [and] Using civilians as human shields.”

Dr. HA Hellyer, senior associate fellow in international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute and non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, haaretz The report is just the latest sign of problems with Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

“Since the bombing of Gaza began, there have been warnings that the rules of engagement have been significantly relaxed, when they should be stricter because Israel is the occupying power and therefore has responsibilities towards the occupied Palestinian people,” he said.

Dr Hellier added that the report reflected “a widespread public rhetoric among Israeli politicians, analysts and officials. Much of this rhetoric has become part of the official record at the International Court of Justice, where Israel is currently facing genocide charges.” Responded.”

Ken Ross, founder of Human Rights Watch and an expert on international law, said the reported practices appeared to indicate war crimes.

“Even if the Israeli military establishes a clear defensive perimeter around the base, they still need to confirm that approaching individuals (who may not be aware) are combatants before opening fire,” he said.

“If the Israeli army established a temporary ‘killing zone’ and attacked anyone who entered, it would be a clear violation of the obligation under international humanitarian law to distinguish between combatants and civilians before firing, and would constitute a war crime.”