The intersection of IDF operational activity and international laws of war has returned to the headlines following a broad public debate surrounding documentaries focused on the IDF. Avi Kalo, former Legal Advisor to the Southern Command, offers a perspective based on his operational experience in target engagement cells, emphasizing the existence of complex legal and intelligence mechanisms designed to ensure military compliance with international law, even under extreme conditions.
According to his account, strike approval processes include close operational assessments combined with legal advice, intended to minimize harm to non-combatants while grappling with the reality of terrorist organizations using civilian environments as shields. Kalo notes that unique legal-operational practices have been developed over the years, such as the 'roof knocking' procedure, which have become a subject of international study for their attempt to balance military needs with the principles of proportionality and distinction.
A central aspect raised in his article concerns the information sphere. Kalo recalls that during Operation Cast Lead, lessons from the Goldstone Report taught that proper legal action requires the presentation of real-time data to the international community. According to him, an information void not filled with investigation-based data tends to be filled with distorted narratives that damage Israel's legitimacy. The legal and public debate raised by Kalo does not seek to suppress criticism of the state or the military, but rather to distinguish between substantive critique and the creation of a partial and distorted picture.
He criticizes the support filmmakers have given to certain content, arguing that ignoring operational and legal complexities may provide ammunition to hostile actors. In his view, civic responsibility requires transparency and credibility in public discourse, particularly regarding weighty issues of the laws of warfare. The central message from the article is that the complexity of the operational field requires a deep understanding of international law, and public discourse often tends to oversimplify matters in a way that does not match the difficult legal dilemmas faced by command and legal echelons in the IDF during combat.