Q&A: Eliminating Terror Operatives and Harming Uninvolved People
Eliminating Terror Operatives and Harming Uninvolved People
Question
Hello,
It was recently reported that the IDF carried out a targeted killing of Mohammed Deif. According to news reports, there were quite a few wounded and dead among uninvolved Gazans in the refugee camp where the operation took place.
Do you think the above action is permissible from a halakhic and moral standpoint?
Seemingly, why should it be permissible to cause the deaths of uninvolved people in order to eliminate one terrorist, however senior and dangerous he may be?
Answer
From my perspective, what needs explaining is why it would not be permissible to eliminate them even directly, and not only as collateral to eliminating a terrorist like Deif. In the end, in my opinion that is forbidden, but when it is necessary in order to strike a terrorist, I have no doubt that it is permitted. For an explanation, see my article here:
https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=f18e4f052adde49eb&q=https://mikyab.net/%25D7%259B%25D7%25AA%25D7%2591%25D7%2599%25D7%259D/%25D7%259E%25D7%2590%25D7%259E%25D7%25A8%25D7%2599%25D7%25A0%25D7%259D/%25D7%2594%25D7%2599%25D7%2591%25D7%2598%25D7%2599%25D7%259D-%25D7%2590%25D7%25A7%25D7%2598%25D7%2595%25D7%2590%25D7%259C%25D7%2599%25D7%2599%25D7%259D-%25D7%259C%25D7%2591%25D7%25A2%25D7%2599%25D7%2599%25D7%25AA-%25D7%2594%25D7%25A4%25D7%25A8%25D7%2598-%25D7%2595%25D7%2594%25D7%259B%25D7%259C%25D7%259C-%25D7%2595%25D7%2593/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjV55H-2qaHAxX2gf0HHUKTBR8QFnoECAIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ltoq7ZMC-nBOCjMEWVUNT&fexp=72519171,72519168
Incidentally, here the situation is even easier than what I described in the article, since most of those "uninvolved" people support Hamas and chose it. The permission there is not contingent on that.
See also here, more up to date: https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=f18e4f052adde49eb&q=https://mikyab.net/posts/85988/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwicr5vB26aHAxVCgf0HHcFyDTQQFnoECAIQAg&usg=AOvVaw0LZb50QftKAmMHbEDrRkYX&fexp=72519171,72519168