The Short Answer? No.
The Long Answer? Also no.
Let’s take a look.
The Lie:
Israel is deliberately killing innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
The Truth:
Israel targets Hamas terrorists and military sites, not civilians. Civilian deaths occur because Hamas embeds its fighters, weapons, and tunnels inside schools, hospitals, and residential neighborhoods, using Gazans as human shields.
FAST FACTS
- Hamas deliberately hides its fighters and weapons in civilian areas, turning civilians into human shields.
- Israel issues advance warnings—including phone calls, text messages, and leaflet drops—before strikes to minimize harm.
- Independent governments, including the UK (Sept 2025), have concluded that Israel’s actions do not constitute genocide.
Background
Accusations that Israel is “killing civilians” in Gaza spread rapidly on social media and across international forums. Harrowing images of destruction are often shared without context, leading many to assume Israel is deliberately targeting noncombatants. This narrative is further amplified by groups hostile to Israel, such as Hamas, which benefits from portraying itself as a victim.
But is this claim true?
The evidence shows it is not.
Israel’s Duty to Defend Its Citizens
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,300 Israelis and kidnapped about 150 people into Gaza. Among the victims were children, elderly, and foreign citizens, including Americans. Israel has both a legal and moral obligation to defend its people, dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure, and recover its hostages.
Every sovereign nation has the right to self-defense. The difference in this conflict is that Hamas chooses to wage war from within its civilian population, while Israel invests extraordinary effort to minimize civilian harm.
Source:
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, press remarks, November 30, 2023. Available at: https://2021-2025.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-press-availability-43/
International Legal Assessments
Independent assessments by governments and military officials consistently reject claims that Israel is committing genocide or deliberately targeting civilians. In September 2025, the UK Foreign Office stated it had not concluded that Israel was acting with genocidal intent. In January 2024, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby dismissed South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice as “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.” Similarly, IDF Chief Spokesperson Daniel Hagari has emphasized that Israel’s war is against Hamas, not the people of Gaza, and highlighted the extensive measures taken to mitigate harm to civilians whom Hamas cynically uses as human shields.
Sources:
- UK Foreign Office (Sept 9, 2025): Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy wrote to Parliament: “The Government has not concluded that Israel is acting with [genocidal] intent.” Available at: https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/artc-uk-government-concludes-israel-is-not-committing-genocide-in-gaza
- U.S. National Security Council (Jan 3, 2024): Spokesman John Kirby called South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.” Available at: https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/01/05/u-s-rejects-meritless-south-africa-icj-case-against-israel/
- IDF Chief Spokesperson Daniel Hagari (Dec 2023): “Our war is against Hamas — not the people of Gaza,” stressing that the IDF is “taking extensive measures to mitigate harm to the civilians that Hamas uses as human shields.” Available at: https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/israel-at-war/briefings-by-idf-spokesperson-bg-effie-defrin/may-24-press-briefings/idf-spokesperson-radm-daniel-hagaris-comments-on-our-ongoing-operations-in-gaza/
Why Civilian Deaths Occur in Gaza
Civilian casualties in Gaza are not the result of Israel deliberately targeting innocents. They are the tragic consequence of Hamas’s military strategy. Hamas hides rockets in schools, tunnels beneath hospitals, and launches attacks from crowded neighborhoods. By embedding its forces in civilian areas, Hamas ensures that any legitimate Israeli strike risks civilian harm.
Israel, on the other hand, takes unprecedented steps to reduce civilian casualties. The IDF regularly sends text messages, phone calls, and drops leaflets to warn civilians before strikes. It also uses “roof knocking” — small, non-explosive munitions that signal residents to evacuate before a bombing run. These measures are rare in modern warfare.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/04/israel-never-targets-innocents-intentionally
Hamas’s Responsibility for Civilian Deaths
Hamas deliberately uses civilians as human shields, embedding its fighters, weapons, and tunnels in schools, hospitals, mosques, and residential areas. This strategy forces civilians to remain in danger and ensures that any Israeli strike on legitimate military targets risks civilian casualties — casualties Hamas then exploits for propaganda. A May 2025 report by the Henry Jackson Society analyzed 367 United Nations documents issued since October 7, 2023, and found that while Hamas’s systematic use of human shields is well-documented, UN reports mention it only four times — and then only as unverified “claims” by Israel. This selective reporting obscures the reality that Hamas’s human shield strategy is central to the high civilian toll in Gaza.
Common Counter-Arguments Addressed
“The civilian death toll is high—doesn’t that prove Israel targets civilians?”
No. A high death toll reflects Hamas’s embedding in urban centers. Civilian harm is tragic but not evidence of intent.
“If Israel warns civilians, why do so many still die?”
Because Hamas discourages or blocks evacuations, and many civilians cannot leave due to Hamas’s presence and fighting inside neighborhoods.
Conclusion
The accusation that the IDF is deliberately killing civilians in Gaza is false. Civilian deaths are the direct result of Hamas’s use of human shields. Israel, by contrast, takes extraordinary precautions to protect civilians — confirmed by independent governments and legal experts.
Final Line:
Israel targets terrorists — Hamas terrorists hide behind civilians.
