In a conference on “Terrorism, Democracy, and International Law” at Shaarei Mishpat college, IAF head General Eliezer Shkedi said Thursday that innocent civilians are almost always endangered by IDF attempts to fight terrorism. The blame lies with terrorists, he said, “who continue to do everything possible in order to assimilate into the civilian population and use it as a human shield.”
Shkedi said that the IAF does whatever possible to avoid hurting civilians. “Our military strength is dependent on our moral strength,” he said. “The Air Force uses sophisticated and advanced missiles in order to reduce the scope of injuries.” Pilots and commanders must deal with “difficult moral dilemmas” every day, he said. Approximately half of the terrorists who are killed are killed in IAF attacks, he said. The terrorists often fire rockets from school courtyards and other public areas.