The Guardian, relying on a +972 Magazine investigation,
claims that 83% of casualties in Gaza are civilians, based on a simplistic calculation. With a reported total death toll of 53,000 as of May 2025 and a classified Israeli military database listing 8,900 named Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) fighters as dead or probably dead, these “brain surgeons” conclude that everyone not on the list must be a civilian. This assumption defies logic.Critics have rightly pointed out its absurdity. Last January, Israel estimated over 20,000 terrorist deaths, far exceeding the 8,900 names in the database, which was never intended as a comprehensive tally but rather a partial intelligence record. Yet, an unspoken new rule has emerged, seemingly crafted exclusively for Israel: they must know and list the names of every person they kill.
Has any nation in the 4,000-year history of warfare been expected to know the names of all enemy dead? Let alone assume that everyone not named is a civilian? Consider these examples:
Ukraine claims to have killed or injured approximately 600,000 Russian troops by August 2025. If a list of named casualties exists, it likely includes only a few hundred at best. By The Guardian’s logic, 99% of Russians killed would be civilians—a patently absurd conclusion.
The U.S. estimated killing around 900,000 enemy combatants (primarily Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces) during the Vietnam War (1955–1975), but no detailed list of names was maintained. Applying The Guardian’s standard, nearly all would be classified as civilians, despite the military nature of the conflict.
Never before has a belligerent been held to such an unrealistic standard—until now, with Israel.
Somehow, Israel has set a record for the number of unprecedented demands placed upon it, demands never once imposed on any party in any war in history:
1. One party is expected to list the names of all enemy soldiers killed.
2. One party must provide aid to the enemy with the full knowledge that the aid is used by the enemy to strengthen itself economically.
3. Civilians are not allowed to leave the areas of fighting to go to other countries.
4. Civilians are not allowed to be relocated to avoid being endangered by fighting.
5. An NGO with known terror ties must be allowed to be considered legitimate.
6. Reporters must be allowed into active war zones even if their presence would jeopardize operations.
7. The professional army statements must be considered false unless verified true, the statements from the terror group are considered true unless proven false.
8. Unconditional ceasefire is demanded without demanding release of all hostages by the other side.
9. Territory that has not been conquered or is still being fought over is considered "occupied."
10. A war is considered "genocide" by default without using any accepted definition of genocide.
11. Using human shields is legal, and the presence of civilians means the enemy can never be attacked.
12. Hospitals, schools and mosques must not be attacked even when militants use them for military purposes.
The Laws of Armed Conflict now carry a glaring asterisk: "Except for Israel." This double standard not only defies historical precedent but also undermines the principles of fair and practical warfare, placing an impossible burden on one nation alone.