According to an investigation by the American newspaper “The New York Times”, Israel significantly relaxed the rules of engagement in the Gaza Strip after the October 7, 2023 attacks, and allowed the killing of Palestinian civilians in large numbers during its military operations.

The report stated that the Israeli military leadership gave mid-ranking officers powers to conduct military operations in Gaza, even if they would cause the death of a large number of innocent civilians.

The report explained that the Israeli military allowed the targeting of what it considered fighters in Palestinian factions who are not leaders, while they are in their homes surrounded by relatives and neighbors, rather than targeting them only when they are alone abroad.

The investigation found that Israel significantly expanded the target bank in its raids.
in its airstrikes on Gaza, while increasing the number of civilians officers can directly hit in each attack.

That prompted Israel to fire nearly 30,000 munitions into Gaza in the first seven weeks of the war, more than in the next eight months combined. In addition, the military command has removed restrictions on the cumulative number of civilians it could target in its strikes, according to the report.