Shuja'iyya is a neighborhood district of the Falestinian city of Gaza located to the east of the city center. It is strategically situated on a hill, located across the main Salah al-Din Road that runs north-south throughout the Gaza Strip. While operating in the Shuja’iya neighborhood of the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge. Israeli Army Intelligence found a manual on “Urban Warfare,” which belonged to the Hamas’ military
The Hamas manual explains how the civilian population can be used against IDF forces and reveals that Hamas knows the IDF is committed to minimizing harm to civilians.
Throughout Operation Protective Edge, Hamas continuously used the civilian population of Gaza as human shields. The discovery of a Hamas “Urban Warfare” manual by IDF forces reveals that Hamas’ callously used the innocent civilian Gazan population in a premeditated intentional and pre-planned method.
This Hamas urban warfare manual exposes two truths:
(1) The terror group knew full well that the IDF will do what it can to limit civilian casualties.
(2) The terror group exploits these efforts by using civilians as human shields against advancing IDF forces.
In a portion entitled “Limiting the Use of Weapons,” the manual explains that:
"The soldiers and commanders (of the IDF) must limit their use of weapons and tactics that lead to the harm and unnecessary loss of people and [destruction of] civilian facilities. It is difficult for them to get the most use out of their firearms, especially of supporting fire [e.g. artillery]."
It is amply clear that Hamas knew that the IDF would limit its use of weapons in order to avoid harming civilians to the point of refraining from using larger firepower to support infantry. Thereby exposing IDF units to Hamas's intended cynical use of "Human Shields" and therefore giving the terrorists the opportunity to inflict greater casualties on Israel forces and to use any loses of "Human Shields" as a propaganda item to defame Israel.
In a portion entitled “Limiting the Use of Weapons,” the manual explains that:
The manual goes on to explain this in full. That the “presence of civilians are pockets of resistance” that cause three major problems for advancing troops:
(2) Problems in controlling the civilian population during operations and afterward
(3) Assurance of supplying medical care to civilians who need it.
The Hamas manual discusses the benefits for Hamas when civilian homes are destroyed: "The destruction of civilian homes will be used to increase the hatred of the citizens towards the attackers [the IDF] and increases their gathering [support] around the city defenders (Hamas resistance forces)." Furthermore instructions are given to Hamas field operatives in the "resistance", serving as western media photo journalists and cameramen, to manipulate the foreign news correspondents that they work for as they "escort" them to photograph and film the destroyed homes as backdrops for garnishing sympathy in the Western Media.
It is quite clear by the instructions outlined in the Manual that Hamas intentionally desired the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, knowing full well it will increase hatred for the IDF and inflame world public opinion.
The IDF Golani Brigade fought a major heroic battle in the neighborhood of Shuja’iya, which had been turned into a terrorist stronghold and a center for tunnels meant to be used to spring a horrific terrorist attacks on Jewish civilians in Moshavim, kibbutzim and towns along the border. The discovery of this manual suggests it was of no small importance that this manual belongs to the Shuja’iya Brigade. That the destruction in Shuja’iya was always part of Hamas’ battle plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment