Change the Rules of Engagement, Stop the killing of innocents

We are all still in pain and shock following the horrors and sights of the massacre on October 7th, and we can't sleep at nights, thinking about the hostages held in Gaza.

But while we are still mourning, the one-sided media coverage prevents us from seeing what the whole world sees: this war has already claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people in Gaza, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women. Thousands of children are buried under the rubble and there is no way to rescue them, while many of the wounded are denied medical treatment due to the destruction of infrastructure.

The State of Israel has the right and the duty to protect us, Israeli civilians. The war on Hamas is a necessity, in order to prevent an event like October 7th repeating itself, and restore security to the residents of the south, the north, and all of Israel.

The number of innocent casualties in Gaza is unprecedented in its magnitude and undermines these goals. According to "Local Call" news website (+972 in the English version), the rules of engagement in the current war are dramatically different than in previous rounds, and effectively allow for the killing of civilians as "collateral damage" in unimaginable numbers, often impacting hundreds of civilians each raid.

The army focuses on "power targets" - buildings with symbolic significance and structures that are not necessarily military objectives, such as public buildings and residential towers, as well as private homes used by families. This leads to the killing of entire families. The "power targets" are bombed with the aim of causing damage to civil society in Gaza and exerting civilian pressure on Hamas. The guidelines even allow sacrificing dozens of family members of any target, without limitations.

The massive bombings cause direct damage to Israel and the declared objectives of the war: toppling Hamas and returning the hostages home alive. The released hostages testify that their lives were in danger several times due to the air raids on Gaza, while other released hostages suffer from health consequences due to their proximity to the bombing sites. According to reliable reports, at least three hostages were killed by IDF bombings.

The Biden administration has already warned Israel that if the killing of civilians in Gaza continues, Israel will only be allowed a few more weeks of fighting, that won't enable fulfilling the goal of severely impacting Hamas's capabilities. International pressure will increase, and we will find ourselves back in the position we were on October 6th – plus unimaginable loss and destruction and no chance of returning the hostages waiting in Gaza.

Ministers Gantz and Eizenkot joined the government in order to form a moderate, sane cabinet, not controlled by right-wing extremists. We must demand that they take responsibility and show the public that they are more than a fig leaf, and that they did not join the government only to continue Netanyahu's rule.

Join Israeli citizens in the demand that Gantz and Eizenkot stop the bloodlust of this failed government, and order a change in the rules of engagement in order to prevent the loss of innocent lives and enable the achievement of the declared war objectives - returning the hostages alive, and causing severe damage to Hamas.