"Both claim that their adversaries-Hamas in Gaza, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and Basij militia in Iran-are either embedded in those civilian structures or situated close by. But the outcome, in both cases, is the same: attacks supposedly aimed at enemy combatants are resulting in massive damage to civilian infrastructure, with a huge toll in human life."
"What ties the Iran war to Gaza-and to the current Israel campaign against remnants of Hezbollah in Beirut-is the fundamentally urban nature of the fighting along with the overwhelming use of airpower to combat highly dispersed paramilitary forces. This combination, as many previous wars attest-think Guernica, Hue, Falluja-inevitably results in the wanton destruction of civilian structures."
"Israeli and American military officials consistently claim that the bombs being used in their attacks on urban targets in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran are precision-guided munitions capable of striking their intended targets with a very high degree of accuracy, sparing nearby civilian structures."
The United States and Israel conduct military operations in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon against paramilitary forces embedded in urban civilian areas. Both nations claim to use precision-guided munitions to minimize civilian damage, yet attacks result in widespread destruction of schools, hospitals, and residential buildings with significant loss of civilian life. The fundamental challenge stems from the urban nature of modern conflict combined with reliance on airpower against highly dispersed non-state actors. Historical precedents including Guernica, Hue, and Falluja demonstrate this pattern inevitably produces civilian casualties. Those unable to evacuate bombing zones face death, injury, or displacement regardless of military claims about targeting accuracy and munition selection.
Read at The Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]