Roof knocking

Roof knocking (Hebrew: הקש בגג‎‎[1]) refers to a code name used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for its practice of warning inhabitants of a building, suspected by the IDF to contain weapons, before it is bombed.[2][3][4] The goal of this practice is to give the inhabitants time to flee the attack.[5] The term roof knocking or "a knock on the roof" has also been used to describe the IDF practice of firing a non-explosive missile at a roof to get people there to leave.[6][7] As early as 2006 the IDF had the practice of warning the inhabitants of a building that was about to be attacked.[8]

Roof knocking was used during the 2008–2009 Gaza War. In the six months prior to its use, Israel collected data on Hamas members, which they used to issue warnings.[4] Typically, Israeli intelligence officers and Shin Bet security servicemen contacted residents of a building in which they suspected storage of military assets and told them that they had 10–15 minutes to flee the attack,[2][7][9][10] although sometimes the attack occurred 5 minutes after the warning.[11]

However, Hamas asked civilians to stand on the roofs of buildings to dissuade Israeli pilots from attacking.[6] Some residents that were warned about an impending bombing climbed up to their roofs.[2] When faced with this situation, IDF commanders have either called off the bombing or launched a newly developed, relatively harmless, non-explosive missile at empty areas of the roof, in order to frighten the people gathered on the roof into leaving the building.[5][6][12] In several instances, the IDF has used a sound bomb to warn civilians before striking homes.[5]

The Israeli Government reported that the warning systems were not perfect but still highly effective. Aerial video surveillance by IDF forces confirmed many times the departure of civilians from targeted areas prior to an attack, as a direct result of the warnings.[13] When Nizar Rayan, a top Hamas military commander, was warned but didn't leave his home, he and his family of 15 were killed in the subsequent bombing.[2][4]

According to the Israeli army, striking homes used as weapons storages, when sufficient warning is given to the residents, falls within the boundaries of international law and is legitimate.[14] According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the warning of inhabitants by Israeli forces is psychological warfare[8] and after the first week of the offensive, only 37 houses had been destroyed despite hundreds of warning calls.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "עזה: בכיר חמאס חוסל, כ-26 נהרגו בתקיפות" (in Hebrew). Ynet. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3648839,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-18.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  2. ^ a b c d Harel, Amos; Yoav Stern (2009-01-04). "IDF targets senior Hamas figures". Haaretz.com (Haaretz). http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052052.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09. 
  3. ^ McGregor-Wood, Simon; Miguel Marquez (2009-01-02). "Bush: U.S. Calls for Monitored Cease-fire Pact". abcNews (ABCNews Internet Ventures). http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6564060&page=1. Retrieved 2009-01-04.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  4. ^ a b c Schweber, Howard (2009-01-04). "Israel and Hamas: Two to Tango". The Huffington Post (HuffingtonPost.com, Inc). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-schweber/israel-and-hamas-two-to-t_b_155077.html. Retrieved 2009-01-10.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  5. ^ a b c "IDF phones Gaza residents to warn them of imminent strikes.". Haaretz.com (Haaretz). 2009-01-04. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052260.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09. 
  6. ^ a b c Erlanger, Steven (2009-01-10). "A Gaza War Full of Traps and Trickery". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/world/middleeast/11hamas.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  7. ^ a b Rabinovich, Abraham (2009-01-03). "Nuclear fear drives Israel's hard line". The Australian (News Limited). http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24867840-601,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  8. ^ a b Urquhart, Conal (2006-06-28). "The call that tells you: run, you're about to lose your home and possessions". guardian.co.uk (Guardian News and Media Limited). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/28/israel. Retrieved 2009-01-10.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  9. ^ Kurz, Anat N.; Emily B. Landau (2009-01-04). "A response to a Euro-Mediterranean appeal". opinion.jpost.com (The Jerusalem Post). http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231167305954&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved 2009-01-10.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  10. ^ Opall-Rome, Barbara (January 5, 2009). "In Gaza, Both Sides Reveal New Gear". Defense News. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3885990. Retrieved 2009-06-17. 
  11. ^ "Gaza Humanitarian Situation Report - January 2, 2009 as of 14:30". UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 2009-01-02. Archived from the original on 2009-01-02. http://www.webcitation.org/5dYZRlFLB. Retrieved 2009-01-02. 
  12. ^ "The Gaza War: a strategic analyses". CSIS. http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/090202_gaza_war.pdf. 
  13. ^ "The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2009-07-29. pp. 50–51, 100. http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/E89E699D-A435-491B-B2D0-017675DAFEF7/0/GazaOperation.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  Archived version 2009-09-06
  14. ^ "Hamas leader, 20 Palestinians killed in IAF strikes". ynet news.com (Yedioth Internet). 2009-01-09. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3648848,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09.  Archived version 2009-01-29
  15. ^ Balousha, Hazem; Toni O'Loughlin (2009-01-03). "Text messages and phone calls add psychological aspect to warfare in Gaza". guardian.co.uk home (Guardian News and Media Limited). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/03/israelandthepalestinians-middleeast. Retrieved 2009-02-18. 
Outline
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Incidents
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