Correct. Body counts become irrelevant because Hamas has accepted the fact that civilian deaths are inevitable in a conflict fought in populated urban areas and because of its huge military disadvantage. It also has understood that civilian causualites are to its advantage since it galvanizes support around the world and in Gaza and serves as an powerful recruiting tool and furthermore engenders disgust in the Isreali homefront, sapping morale and support.
The IDF understands this to some extent, arguing to keep operations as `restrained` as possible, however as soon as it suffers any casualities it throws this restraint into the garbage can and uses overwhelming firepower to suppress Palestinian resistance, making Hamas`s weakness - the inability to protect its own population - into one of its greatest strengths. |
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