Hamas’s tactics in Gaza demonstrate how new Department of Defense legal rules could endanger American soldiers and harm U.S. national security.
The Biden administration declared in July that the laws of war require presuming persons and structures in combat areas are civilian, overturning longstanding Department of Defense (DOD) rules. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, echoing the administration’s new position, has pressured Israel to limit its self-defense, citing the effect on Gazan civilians and infrastructure. Hamas, of course, regularly disguises its combatants as civilians, and uses civilian structures such as homes, mosques, schools, and hospitals as military facilities.
