URBAN WARFARE
A Response to the “This Is the Story…on Gaza” Ben Rhodes NYT Opinion piece
John Spencer
December 2, 2025

…The article [by Ben Rhodes in the New York Times]  relies on an emotionally charged but morally incoherent equivalency. It argues that if one believes a Palestinian child has equal dignity to an Israeli or American child, one cannot support the Israeli government while hiding behind platitudes about peace. This argument is appalling. It ignores the most fundamental distinction in the laws of war. There is a clear difference between a baby kidnapped by Hamas and murdered with bare hands and the tragic death of a child in urban combat who is being used as a human shield by Hamas. The laws of war do not judge outcomes alone. They judge intent, precautions, proportionality, distinction, and military necessity. Israel has taken more measures to reduce civilian harm than any military in history, including layered warnings, evacuation corridors, daily pauses, roof knocking, safe zones, and an unprecedented combination of precision fires and restrictions on ground maneuver that often put its own soldiers at greater risk to protect civilians. I have studied and documented urban warfare for decades. No other military has attempted to do what the IDF has done in Gaza. READ MORE