The IDF Invests in Life – The Reason For Israel’s Low Civilian Casualty Rate
More than 4,500 Hamas rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel during Operation Protective Edge, but due to the dedicated work of thousands of soldiers, Israel’s civilian casualty rate remained low.
01.10.14
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The reason that the number of Israeli civilian casualties was relatively low during the 50 days of Operation Protective Edge is because the IDF’s top priority is to defend and protect Israeli civilians. Unlike Hamas, who uses Gaza's civilians as human shields, the IDF is constantly investing in saving lives in every possible way. The following are four of the IDF’s most crucial life-saving systems.
1. Real Time Alerts
The amount of time Israelis have to take shelter when a rocket is fired
Alerting civilians that a rocket is heading towards them is the first layer of defense that the IDF provides. “First of all, people need to know that a rocket was fired at them so they know to run for a cover,” explains Lieutenant Colonel Itach Levi, the commander of the Home Front’s First Response Branch. “The alert has to reach everyone, it must give civilians time to take cover, it must be solely directed towards the targeted civilians, and it must be accurate and trustworthy – no false alarms.”
2. Aerial Rocket Interception – The Iron Dome
Throughout Operation Protective Edge, more than 750 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome Missile Defense System. The Iron Dome has the ability to detect where a rocket is going to land and only intercepts rockets heading towards populated areas. Therefore, every rocket intercepted by the system would have hit a civilian populated area, potentially causing severe damage and casualties.
3. Preparing The Public
The IDF regularly prepares the public for cases of rocket fire. These preparations took place both before and during Operation Protective Edge. “We provide life saving instructions of what to do when the rocket sirens go off,” explains the commander of the Home Front Command’s Publicity Branch, Lt. Col. Tal Michaelovitch. “We have a special trainer for every audience – children, orthodox Jews, blind people, Druze, Arabs – every single part of the public.”
4. Emergency Medical Treatment
The National Medical Command Center (NMCC) operates 24/7 and is always prepared to react to emergency situations. During Operation Protective Edge, the center treated injured soldiers as well as civilians. Medical officers in the center are constantly ready to respond to any event in the Home Front, including non-conventional combat such as chemical, atomic, or biological warfare.
