Stop killing Gazan kids

8,000 Jewish kids killed. Imagine. No, don’t imagine. According to Israeli numbers, about 50 under 19-year-old Israelis were killed in the October 7th atrocity. https://www.timesofisrael.com/14-kids-under-10-25-people-over-80-up-to-date-breakdown-of-oct-7-victims-we-know-about/

8,000 Gazan kids have been killed. If you consider the Hamas numbers to be unreliable, make it 7,000, or even 6,000. This numbers game just shifts the conversation from one of morality to statistical verification (see my TOI post: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/statistical-verification-and-morality/ ).

I believe Israel has the right to invade Gaza and hunt down and destroy the entire Hamas organization. However, the destruction of the entire Hamas organization and all its fighters is impossible (see my TOI post: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/eliminating-hamas/ ). Some commentators predict that Hamas can be severely degraded to the point of impotence for a few years at least. Given that the invasion needs to continue, how could Israel perform it with fewer civilian, especially children, casualties? There are at least five essential steps to lower casualty rates.

Allow more food, water, and medical aid to cross into Gaza and improve its distribution inside Gaza
Use more guided bombs. I have read that about 40% of the Israeli bombs dropped are unguided. These unguided bombs can miss their target by up to 30 meters.
Do not bomb areas that Israel has told Gazans to flee to. Israel has dropped many bombs on areas that were supposed to be refugee zones.
Drop fewer bombs and use more special forces to kill Hamas fighters. This will have the consequence of more Israeli soldiers killed but many fewer civilians.
Other methods of destroying Hamas infrastructure. I like the flood the tunnel idea best since at least that avoids civilian casualties on the ground.

I do not know how to release the hostages. Neither does Netanyahu. Neither do the protesters. Israeli protesters are quite correct to demand their release. The hostages must be released. It was an atrocity to seize them. According to those already released, the hostages have been mistreated badly and some have been killed. It is hard to apply the supreme laws of morality to balance wrongs and suffering and judge the applicability of the proportionate use of military force. Yet, I think we must. For me, the killing of 8,000 Gazan kids, innocent kids, is more of a moral outrage than all the outrages inflicted on the hostages. Quantity becomes moral quality at a certain tipping point. We all have our own tipping points. I have reached mine.

Israel must change its military tactics. Now.