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IAF chief Eliezer Shkedi. (Kobi Gideon/BauBau)
Last update - 08:40 30/12/2007
Pinpointed IAF attacks in Gaza more precise, hurt fewer civilians
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Yuval Diskin 

Among those who attended last week's pilots' graduation at the Israel Air Force base in Hatzerim was Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin. Why would a busy man like Diskin take the trouble of going to a military ceremony at a distant base in the Negev? The answer has to do with the tight cooperation between the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces, particularly the air force, as reflected in fighting in the territories.

The Shin Bet and the IAF (in some cases the IDF Southern Command is also involved) are responsible for the most lethal part of combating terror organizations in the Gaza Strip: the assassinations from the air, for which Israel coined the euphemism "pinpointed thwarting." This past month alone, at least 40 armed terrorists were killed in IDF air attacks.

Lately, the thwartings have indeed become more worthy of the title "pinpointed." In all the attacks of recent weeks, only gunmen were hurt, as confirmed by Palestinians. The rate of civilians hurt in these attacks in 2007 was 2-3 percent. The IDF has come a long way since the dark days of 2002-2003, when half the casualties in air assaults on the Gaza Strip were innocent bystanders.
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The attacks fall into three main categories: targeting specific known terrorists; targeting Qassam rocket-launching cells en-route or in action; and punitive bombardments of Hamas outposts, in response to rocket or mortar fire into Israel. Since Israel began air assaults on the Gaza Strip, in late 2000, the first two types of attacks killed more than 100 Palestinian civilians.

In their quest to hit terrorists, who operate in the midst of civilian populations, the IAF attacked even when the terrorists were in densely populated areas. There were always safety rules, but these were "bent" at times in view of the target's importance. The result was mass killing of civilians.

The best-known case involved the liquidation of a senior Hamas man, Salah Shehadeh. Besides Shehadeh and one of his aides, the one-ton bomb the IAF dropped on the Gaza house he was staying in also killed his wife, daughter and 13 civilians. That affair led to the infamous statement by then-IAF chief (and later IDF chief of staff) Dan Halutz about "a ding to the plane," in reference to the impact of civilian casualties.

The army's public responses in the Shehadeh affair and other incidents combined obtuseness with self-righteousness. Senior officers claimed there is simply no other way. The attacks are necessary, they said, and it's impossible to reduce the number of "noncombatants" who wind up getting hurt.

Turns out it is possible. Reducing the number of civilian casualties in the attacks on Gaza was one of the first tasks Halutz's heir as IAF chief, Eliezer Shkedi, marked out for himself. The data improved commensurately. From a 1:1 ratio between killed terrorists and civilians in 2003 to a 1:28 ratio in late 2005. Several IAF mishaps in 2006 lowered the ratio to 1:10, but the current ratio is at its lowest ever  more than 1:30.

The IAF warns, however, against expecting zero collateral damage. All it would take is for a missile to veer off-course by a few meters because of a technical malfunction and civilians would be killed. And another thing: When tensions escalate, such as under massive Qassam fire from the Gaza Strip, the IDF is more active and also takes more risks, leading to more civilian casualties among the Palestinians.

Related articles:
  • Panel might probe 2002 killing of Hamas commander Shehadeh
  • Editorial: What the fatality statistics tell us
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      1.   Let Palis worry about Palis 05:34  |  RA 30/12/07
      2.   G-d bless IAF and IDF! You guys are the best! 07:50  |  Roni 30/12/07
      3.   no excuse for war crimes 08:07  |  1 state solution 30/12/07
      4.   To # 32 fortuna, I have the answer to your question 08:49  |  dan 30/12/07
      5.   I believe Al Capone achieved the same 09:03  |  Grif 30/12/07
      6.   #3 how would you feel about Palestinians launching QASSAMS? 09:10  |  V 30/12/07
      7.   IDF, IAF, You are the PRIDE of the whole 09:15  |  TOMY 30/12/07
      8.   Provo Utah-- 09:20  |  Gary 30/12/07
      9.   To 1 state solution: you are right, no excuse to war crimes 09:24  |  Dan 30/12/07
      10.   Is this the same IDF??? 09:39  |  Rollin 30/12/07
      11.   A Cause For Celebration? 09:41  |  Paulo 30/12/07
      12.   40 Armed Terrorists Killed 09:42  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      13.   high priced targets should not be missed at any cost. 10:10  |  don 30/12/07
      14.   Yes, that trend has been obvious over the past months..... 10:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/12/07
      15.   this is the upside to gaza`s hamas takeover 10:20  |  matt 30/12/07
      16.   Message # 12 is Fake Clickfool 10:42  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      17.   Yeah, lets look at international law 10:42  |  1 state solution 30/12/07
      18.   No trial, no evidence, no defence lawyers, no process of law 10:48  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      19.   13/ Izzy has killed thousands - when will it end? 10:49  |  1 state solution 30/12/07
      20.   IAF has done a remarkable job 10:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/12/07
      21.   Congratulations are not in order 10:50  |  Natallie Durson 30/12/07
      22.   2/ G-d condones killing? Where is it written? 10:54  |  1 state solution 30/12/07
      23.   TOMY, an IDF fan # 7 11:01  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      24.   the world secretly admires 11:05  |  rich 30/12/07
      25.   Pinpointed Attacks Are Pills , What`s Needed is a Root Surgery 11:14  |  Joseph E . 30/12/07
      26.   "What is the Jewish response to Jews for Jesus"? 11:14  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      27.   Clickfol`s Country Murders Innocents 11:23  |  Ruth 30/12/07
      28.   # 25 Joseph E.` s post serves as a reminder to anyone..... 11:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/12/07
      29.   #21, Durson 11:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/12/07
      30.   ra 1 11:42  |  realism 30/12/07
      31.   clickfool"the jews killed jesus" 11:44  |  brighton rock 30/12/07
      32.   clickfool "no trial no evidence only bullets" 11:47  |  brighton rock 30/12/07
      33.   clickfool and the british squaddies in war 11:49  |  brighton rock 30/12/07
      34.   is BBC also the acr for Blind Barbarian Clickfool ? -Hell Burns! 11:53  |  Zeev 30/12/07
      35.   IF CIVILIANS GOT KILLED, IT MEANS THEY WANTED THAT 11:57  |  indrajaya 30/12/07
      36.   CF: no way, neither you nor the BBC can outdo Mel Gibson 12:12  |  avigdor 30/12/07
      37.   For Ruth, who`s a fan of the Taliban # 27 12:22  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      38.   For "Brighton Rock" # 31 12:25  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      39.   To All Clickfool Bashers 12:27  |  Rupert 30/12/07
      40.   To Ruth re 27 and Clickfool`s idiocy: Very well put!!! 12:29  |  Lee 30/12/07
      41.   Very Interesting "Clickfool" Posings #27/28 12:35  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      42.   17 1 state solution,well said! Something must be done about 12:40  |  lakshmi 30/12/07
      43.   Good old "Rupert" of "Wych Cross" # 39 12:52  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      44.   # 27, RUTH (RE: CLICKFOOL) 13:01  |  indrajaya 30/12/07
      45.   re: Tomy 13:07  |  Paulo 30/12/07
      46.   # 29 Kohn .. Thanks for the chance to expand on this topic 13:10  |  Natallie Durson 30/12/07
      47.   For Clickfool, who`s a fan of Palestinian terrorists (#37) 13:16  |  Lurker 30/12/07
      48.   The morally offensive defending the morally indefensible. 13:20  |  Dutch 30/12/07
      49.   35Indrajaya, Maan News reports:israeli vehicles entered the Gaza 13:20  |  lakshmi 30/12/07
      50.   #18 the yellow streak and the rule of law? 13:21  |  victor hardman 30/12/07
      51.   Perhaps Bin Laden would like to put the IDF out of business? 13:55  |  Dutch 30/12/07
      52.   48. i already work for CIA/Mossad 14:07  |  *BEN LADEN 30/12/07
      53.   Clickfool: British Military & Society Barbarians 14:09  |  Ruth 30/12/07
      54.   For Lurker # 47 14:12  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      55.   Indrajaya Lecturing from Indonesia: LOL 14:16  |  Craig F 30/12/07
      56.   #33 What about Israel`s Anti-Semitism towards Arabs? 14:21  |  Dutch 30/12/07
      57.   For Ruth again # 53 14:30  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      58.   Clickfool: British Citizens Voted For War 14:40  |  Ruth 30/12/07
      59.   #42 It would be a blessing for BIn Laden to take out the IDF 14:53  |  Dutch 30/12/07
      60.   # 55, CRAIG F (a.k.a. PETER SM) 15:05  |  indrajaya 30/12/07
      61.   Ruth`s odd recollection of events # 58 15:11  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      62.   Ruth`s odd version of events again # 58 15:17  |  Clickfool 30/12/07
      63.   # 49, LAKSHMI 15:54  |  indrajaya 30/12/07
      64.   59 Dutch,Clickfool,Natalie D.,Maureen Ann &friends,an 15:55  |  lakshmi 30/12/07
      65.   Paulo #3 16:05  |  Charles Ronen 30/12/07
      66.   Remarkable Shin Bet 16:07  |  Tosefta 30/12/07
      67.   IAF finds new ways... 16:13  |  Walter 30/12/07
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      69.   #27 Ruth 16:26  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/12/07
      70.   avigdor 36 16:29  |  realism