
The Rules of War
The Daily
00:00
Consideration of acceptable casualty levels in military attacks
During the war in Afghanistan, the US considered zero casualties as the baseline for most attacks, with a maximum of 30 casualties being acceptable for high-value targets like Osama bin Laden. However, these legal guidelines are not always followed, as attacks do not always go as expected. In contrast, Hamas has questioned the concept of civilians, suggesting that all Israelis are engaged in an illegal occupation, making everyone a legitimate military target. This perspective raises the concern that if one side does not consider civilians, the calculations for acceptable casualties are not applied.
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