For every Hamas fighter killed in the Gaza Strip, about two civilians were killed, senior Israeli military officials said last night on condition of anonymity. This was reported by the French news agency AFP.
“I’m not saying it’s not bad that we have a two-to-one ratio,” one of the officials said at a news conference, adding that the use of human shields was part of the “basic strategy” of the Palestinian Islamist movement. “It is hoped that this ratio will be significantly lower in the next phase of the war,” he added. Asked about reports that 5,000 Hamas fighters had been killed, one of the senior officials said: “The numbers are more or less accurate.” Officials said the Israeli army was using high-tech mapping software to estimate the number of deaths by non-combatants. The system integrates cellular signals, aerial monitoring and artificial intelligence to create a constantly updated map showing population concentrations across the country. “As we have almost doubled the population in the south, the operations are much more precise,” one of the officials said. “We are taking much more time to ensure that our efforts to alert civilians are effective.”
The ratio of two Palestinian civilians killed in the Gaza Strip to every Hamas fighter killed is “enormously positive” given the challenges of urban combat, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN. “I can confirm the report published by AFP and if you compare it with any other report on a conflict in urban areas between a military organization and a terrorist organization that uses civilians as human shields, you will find that this is an extraordinary report . “extraordinarily positive and perhaps unique in the world”.
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