Civilian rights in the Gaza war.

If civilians of Gaza had no rights at all, or were thought to have none, it would be of little benefit for Hamas fighters and agents of terror to hide amongst them. from this it can be seen that the advantages Hamas' seeks is in the scruples of its enemy, Israel.

It is implicit on the Israelis to demand a clear soldier?civilian distinction in the population, this comes from both a moral and strategic basis. While it is Hamas who act to blunt this line, from a strategic point of view. In a conventional war it is assumed that the opposing population is hostile, but to win a guerrilla insurgency you have to seek their sympathy and support. This is more a political and ideological conflict than a test of arms. Israel has to be aware, as they have little or no chance of gaining the sympathy of the local population in Gaza. this is where this conflict differs to an atypical insurgency, as the civilian population that is to be held in sway and to gain the political and ideological ascendancy over is the international community. this is where the war will be won or lost.

If it was a war of occupation then Israel would be aiming to gain the backing of the local populous, this is not the case here, Israel wants to turn the population in Gaza not to a pro-Israel stance but to an anti-Hamas one. this is where the real battle between the two sides is being fought and where the battle will be won and lost.

This is a problem as there are no answers in the military handbooks on how to face an enemy that has 'levee en masse'. This is when an anti guerrilla war can no longer be fought, as it becomes an anti-social war, one against the entire people of Gaza, as no distinctions can be made in the fighting.