Laws of War and Hamas's Use of Civilian Locations

The laws of war dictate that civilian locations such as churches, mosques, and hospitals cannot be targeted, unless they are being used for military operations by the enemy. In the case of Hamas, they frequently convert civilian areas into military sites, leading to a need for a proportionality assessment before engaging in attacks. This assessment considers the trade-off between civilian casualties and targeting adversaries. Hamas's tactic of embedding within civilian areas poses a significant challenge as it blurs the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, making it difficult to strike without harming civilians. Unlike previous wars, Hamas has uniquely perfected the strategy of merging with civilian populations, utilizing extensive tunnel networks for their protection and operation beneath civilian infrastructures like kindergartens and mosques.