"Vengeance fueled Israeli brutality in Gaza," says peace activist
Peace activist Yariv Oppenheimer stated that anger regarding the Hamas incursion on October 7 overshadowed any worries about civilian lives. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Yariv Oppenheimer has expressed that anger over the Hamas attack on October 7 has overshadowed concerns for civilians.
The New York Times reported that Israel relaxed its rules of engagement in Gaza to permit mass civilian casualties, contributing to a “very ugly picture” of the ongoing conflict, according to Oppenheimer of Peace Now, speaking to RT.
Following the Hamas attack last year, the Israel Defense Forces reportedly authorized junior officers to target even low-level objectives, which increased the risk of civilian harm, the NYT noted in a Thursday report based on interviews with over 100 Israeli officers.
“I believe every word in this report,” Oppenheimer told RT on Friday, referring to the situation in Gaza as “very dramatic and disturbing.”
Oppenheimer pointed out that the Times' findings were not surprising to those who had been following the events in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault. He indicated that the Israeli military's actions were driven by anger, compounded by a sense of humiliation within Israeli society.
Previously, the rules of engagement allowed for putting up to ten civilians at risk; the IDF, however, raised this limit to 20 and authorized strikes that could endanger over 100 civilians, according to the Times.
“When I see the pictures coming from Gaza in the last 24 hours, it seems that the policy remains to hit the target even at the price of many Palestinian civilians that are being killed on the spot,” Oppenheimer stated.
He suggested that these new rules seem to apply primarily to the ongoing “full-scale war” in Gaza, contrasting it with the recent Israeli campaign in Lebanon, which was more focused on Hezbollah.
“In Gaza it was a different story,” Oppenheimer remarked. He explained that the brutal Hamas assault shifted Israeli public sentiment, including that within the military.
The sight of Palestinians in Gaza celebrating the October 7 incursion led Israeli soldiers, pilots, and commanders to feel that “there’s no innocent people in Gaza,” Oppenheimer argued.
He observed that Israeli society experienced humiliation following the Hamas attack, stating that “the revenge element was there very strongly” in the aftermath.
The Hamas attack last year resulted in over 1,100 Israeli fatalities, with approximately 250 individuals taken hostage. It is estimated that around 100 Israelis are still being held in Gaza.
Since then, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. The UN reported last month that nearly 70% of these verified casualties were women and children.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
The New York Times reported that Israel relaxed its rules of engagement in Gaza to permit mass civilian casualties, contributing to a “very ugly picture” of the ongoing conflict, according to Oppenheimer of Peace Now, speaking to RT.
Following the Hamas attack last year, the Israel Defense Forces reportedly authorized junior officers to target even low-level objectives, which increased the risk of civilian harm, the NYT noted in a Thursday report based on interviews with over 100 Israeli officers.
“I believe every word in this report,” Oppenheimer told RT on Friday, referring to the situation in Gaza as “very dramatic and disturbing.”
Oppenheimer pointed out that the Times' findings were not surprising to those who had been following the events in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault. He indicated that the Israeli military's actions were driven by anger, compounded by a sense of humiliation within Israeli society.
Previously, the rules of engagement allowed for putting up to ten civilians at risk; the IDF, however, raised this limit to 20 and authorized strikes that could endanger over 100 civilians, according to the Times.
“When I see the pictures coming from Gaza in the last 24 hours, it seems that the policy remains to hit the target even at the price of many Palestinian civilians that are being killed on the spot,” Oppenheimer stated.
He suggested that these new rules seem to apply primarily to the ongoing “full-scale war” in Gaza, contrasting it with the recent Israeli campaign in Lebanon, which was more focused on Hezbollah.
“In Gaza it was a different story,” Oppenheimer remarked. He explained that the brutal Hamas assault shifted Israeli public sentiment, including that within the military.
The sight of Palestinians in Gaza celebrating the October 7 incursion led Israeli soldiers, pilots, and commanders to feel that “there’s no innocent people in Gaza,” Oppenheimer argued.
He observed that Israeli society experienced humiliation following the Hamas attack, stating that “the revenge element was there very strongly” in the aftermath.
The Hamas attack last year resulted in over 1,100 Israeli fatalities, with approximately 250 individuals taken hostage. It is estimated that around 100 Israelis are still being held in Gaza.
Since then, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. The UN reported last month that nearly 70% of these verified casualties were women and children.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
