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By Morton A. Klein
(June 5, 2024 / Israel Hayom) Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, wrote that surprise tactics are a major key to victory. The famed Chinese general and strategist advised: "Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected"; "The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to [be able to] prepare against a possible attack at several different points"; "All warfare is based on deception"; "military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand"; and "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."
On October 7, Hamas deployed these tactics: torturing and slaughtering 1,200 Israelis, wounding another 5,000 Israelis, and taking 250 hostages in Hamas' brutal surprise attack. Similar to Sun Tzu's tactics, surprise combined with overwhelming force and speed is the predominant method Western governments use to execute wars. But, Israel's military offensive has been forgoing these vital elements of surprise, overwhelming force and speed in order to protect Gazan enemy civilians while endangering Israel's own soldiers. (And Gaza's enemy Arab civilians are not so innocent; 80% support Hamas, 90% support 10/7)
John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute personally observed and wrote that, in order to prevent harm to Gazan civilians, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "has telegraphed almost every move ahead of time so civilians can relocate, nearly always ceding the element of surprise." Of course, Israel's advance warnings to protect civilians also enable Hamas to reposition its senior leaders and Israeli hostages through its tunnels, and plan attacks that endanger Israel's soldiers.
Spencer recounted that Israel gave warnings, sometimes for weeks, for civilians to evacuate major northern Gazan areas before Israel launched its ground campaign; dropped over 7 million flyers, made over 70,000 direct phones calls, sent over 13 million text messages; left over 15 million voicemails; dropped speakers that broadcasted evacuation instructions; provided daily pauses and even provided daily military maps of upcoming combat areas to evacuate. Israel also uses drone and satellite imagery, cell phone presence and building damage assessments to avoid hitting civilians. These unprecedented measures have effectively kept the overwhelming majority of Gazan civilians out of harm's way. No army in history has done more to protect enemy civilians.
Spencer also noted the IDF's unique precautions to avoid civilian harm while rooting out Hamas terrorists illegally embedded in Al-Shifa hospital. The IDF brought along doctors, food, water and medical supplies for the civilians inside. Unheard of! The IDF also has "civilian harm mitigation units" who constantly work to prevent civilian harm. What other nation's army has such a thing? And as the IDF confirms, "Very often, we give up some targets, despite our interests, simply because we are committed to minimizing the suffering of Gazan civilians."
And in addition to facilitating deliveries of hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian aid every day; massive amounts of shelter equipment (tents, mattresses, blankets and hygiene products), the IDF also established an extensive medical aid infrastructure to treat Gazan enemy civilians . This includes eight large field hospitals; two medical ships docked at the Al-Arish port to support the field hospitals and enable staff rotation; and facilitating medical teams' movement and evacuation of patients needing specialized care. Again, what other nation has done anything like this to protect enemy civilians?
Remarkably, Israel engages in all these enormous efforts to prevent civilian Gazan harm even though thousands of Gazan civilians joined in perpetrating atrocities against innocent Jews on October 7; many Gazan families are hiding Hamas' weapons in their homes; and Hamas has been paying Gazan families to imprison Israeli hostages in their homes.
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