Urban warfare is the most unforgiving form of combat. It is not fought by tank columns maneuvering across open deserts, but by small units clearing building to building, block to block, tunnel to tunnel. This is the reality facing Israel’s soldiers today. Their objectives are clear and consistent with the obligations of any state defending its citizens: rescue hostages, destroy Hamas’s military capacity, and ensure the group cannot reconstitute to carry out future massacres. To leave Hamas intact would guarantee endless cycles of rockets, shootings, kidnappings, and mass killings.

At the same time, Israel’s forces face immense moral and operational constraints. Modern warfare demands adherence to the laws of armed conflict, which require a balance between military objectives and humanitar

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