Israel must protect civilians or risk “strategic failure” in Gaza

Austin said that the United States learned harsh lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan regarding the killing and displacement of civilians, and acknowledged that fighting a war in a densely populated urban center places great burdens on a democratic country trying to follow the laws of war.

“The lesson is not that you can win urban warfare by protecting civilians,” said Austin, who commanded forces in the Middle East. “The lesson is that you can only win urban warfare by protecting civilians.”

Israel has repeatedly warned Gazans to move from sites of active combat, and dropped leaflets advising civilians to move south, away from some of the heaviest early battles. Hamas killed 1,200 Israeli civilians in a cross-border attack on October 7, which focused on killing and kidnapping civilians.

Renewed Israeli bombing began targeting areas in southern Gaza, and Israel has wanted to remove Gazans from some areas since Friday. Refugees from northern Gaza are increasingly being asked to move to smaller areas, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis across the Strip.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel and the United Arab Emirates late last week, and on Friday he blamed Hamas for the failure of the temporary ceasefire. “It is important to understand why the truce ended: it ended because of Hamas. Hamas has backed away from its commitments.

Hamas fired rockets at Israel on Friday before the end of the truce and failed to extract Israeli hostages it had pledged to release.

On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that after releasing more than 80 hostages, Hamas “violated the agreed framework” by refusing to release another 17 women and children.

He said: “As a result of Hamas’s decision not to implement what was agreed upon, and in accordance with the War Council’s decision, yesterday morning I issued instructions to the Israeli army to resume firing.”