Urban warfare presents unique challenges for military forces. It involves small units engaging in combat from building to building and block to block, rather than large tank formations in open areas. This is the current situation for Israeli soldiers as they work to achieve specific objectives: rescuing hostages, dismantling Hamas's military capabilities, and preventing future attacks. Failure to address Hamas could lead to ongoing cycles of violence, including rocket attacks and kidnappings.

Israeli forces are also navigating significant moral and operational constraints. Modern warfare requires compliance with the laws of armed conflict, which necessitate a balance between military goals and humanitarian considerations. This includes precision targeting, issuing advance warnings, and establishing safe corridors for civilians caught in combat zones. Israel has taken extensive measures to minimize civilian harm, such as dropping leaflets, sending text messages, making phone calls, and opening evacuation routes. They have even provided military maps to civilians and conducted daily pauses in fighting.

In contrast, Hamas has been accused of obstructing civilians who attempt to flee conflict areas. The group has embedded its military infrastructure within civilian neighborhoods, using schools, mosques, and apartment buildings for command centers, weapons storage, and rocket launch sites. This tactic complicates the situation, as Hamas not only fights as an adversary but also governs the area, often using its own population as human shields.

Recently, a UN commission led by Navi Pillay released a report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. This accusation has sparked significant debate regarding its interpretation of international law and the realities of urban warfare. Genocide is defined as the intentional destruction of a group of people, and there is no credible evidence suggesting that Israel has such an objective. Instead, Israel's stated goals focus on military operations aimed at rescuing hostages and dismantling Hamas's capabilities.

Urban combat experts recognize that when an enemy integrates its operations within civilian areas, tragic civilian casualties are likely. While this does not absolve Israel of its responsibility to minimize harm, it highlights that civilian suffering does not equate to genocidal intent. The UN commission's conflation of urban combat with genocide may undermine accountability for actual atrocities occurring elsewhere.

The report also overlooks the humanitarian efforts Israel has made during the conflict. Since October, Israel has facilitated the delivery of over two million tons of aid to Gaza, administered more than two million vaccinations, and provided 14 million liters of water daily. They have maintained electricity for desalination plants, supported hospitals, and transferred patients for medical care. No modern military has engaged in warfare while simultaneously providing such extensive support to an enemy's civilian population.

Ignoring these facts raises concerns about the implications of labeling Israel's actions as genocidal. If Israel can be accused of genocide for its military operations against Hamas, it sets a troubling precedent for any state defending its citizens against terrorist threats. While Israel's actions are subject to scrutiny, the complexities of urban warfare and the humanitarian measures taken must be acknowledged.