While speaking to CNN on Monday, IDF Spokesman Jonathan Conricus noted that by telling Gazan civilians to evacuate to the south, “we have just advertised our intentions” but Israel engaged in this move, even though it’s not generally a smart military strategy, “Because we want civilians out of fighting, and we don’t want them to be killed.”
Conricus stated, “It is generally not wise for a military to be advertising its intentions. And we are aware of the fact that we have just advertised our intentions by telling civilians in northern Gaza to go south. Why have we done that? Because we want civilians out of fighting, and we don’t want them to be killed. So, there’s a balance here between achieving a military objective and minimizing civilian damage, and, in this case, which is very evident, and you cannot argue with it, we have chosen to — the sanctity of life and helping Palestinian civilians to go south and not be stuck in an area where there will be significant combat activities. There is a risk and we will have to mitigate this risk with the tactics, the weapons, and the time that we use, when and if we’ll operate. There is tremendous desire in Israel to see Hamas defeated, to see the scourge and the terror gone from Gaza, but Israelis, of course, also want the IDF to operate smartly and in a way that doesn’t expose our troops to undue danger in an environment that already is amongst the most dangerous on any battlefield.”
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