Hamas members putting their families at risk - with fatal results

As with the last war, a large number of the women and children who were relatives of the intended target. Even though Hamas members know that they are often targeted in their homes, they remain with their families during war - with often tragic results.

PCHR reported the airstrike this way:

At approximately 20:20, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Yousif Ibrahim al-Rantisi (‘Azarah) and his brothers in al-Juneinah neighborhood.  As a result, the mother, her grandson, her son and his wife were killed.  Those killed were identified as Siham Yousif Mohammed al-Rantisi (66); her 2-year-old grandson Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim al-Rantisi; her son Ra’ed Ibrahim Khamis al-Rantisi (29) and his wife Shaimaa’ Diab Mohammed al-Rantisi (21.) Moreover, 15 others were wounded variously, including 7 children and 3 women.  All of them were taken to Abu Yousif al-Najjar Hospital to receive treatment.

Whenever PCHR lists an entire family killed, look for any males of military age - in this case, Ra'ed Ibrahim Khamis al-Rantisi.

Sure enough, he is Hamas.

Clearly, he was the target. Otherwise, the IDF would have warned the family to leave the building, as it did many other times during the operation.

I do not have the information as to how important Rantisi was within Hamas. His age. 29, indicates that he had at least ten years experience and was probably a fairly senior terrorist. Only Israel knows what specific intelligence they had on him at the time the decision was made to kill him - probably knowing that there were children and elderly in the same apartment. The military commander must make that decision as to whether the killing of family members would be proportionate to the value of the target.  

Israel knew in this case who the target was and who else would probably die. People may disagree, but one thing is certain: Ra'ed Rantisi chose to put his family in danger. 

He isn't the only one. We already looked at Iyad Fathi Sharir, who most definitely was a high value target as the commander of the Hamas anti-tank missile unit, who was killed along with his wife, teenage and toddler daughters. 

When the smoke clears, it will be seen that the IDF engaged in the most pinpoint campaign in the history of warfare. The number of civilians can never be zero, and from initial indications it looks like they are less than one third of the total casualties. That is unprecedented in any war in urban areas where the terrorists embed themselves with civilians. 

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