The IDF has separated between combatants and noncombatants. It issued warning calls and decimated leaflets urging civilians to evacuate the combat zones. The IDF warns civilians of attacks thereby sacrificing its own element of surprise which could be useful in fighting Hamas. The IDF takes great care to minimize civilian casualties by these actions and uses precision missiles when attacking compounds. Hamas tries to actively increase civilian casualties by embedding its military infrastructures as well as fighters within civilian population centers including- apartment buildings, playgrounds, hospitals, and schools. It uses civilians as human shields knowing that the IDF takes precautions and does not target these areas where many civilians reside.

The IDF has made over 30,000 calls, dropped 4 million leaflets, and sent 10 million SMS messages and over 10 million voice messages urging civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate temporarily for their safety as of November 20th. 

The IDF has been engaging in “Roof knocking”. It is a practice in which the Israeli Air Force targets a building with a loud but non-lethal bomb that warns civilians that they are in the vicinity of a weapons cache or other target. This method is used to allow all residents to leave the area before the IDF targets the site with live ammunition. The US has adopted this tactic in 2016 after learning and other NATO armies learned about it from the IDF.

Moreover, the IDF has provided the evacuated civilians with aid and medical care. Hamas tries to use the fact that Israel avoids attacking targets with many civilians and encourages civilians to be used as human shields as Hamas’ spokesperson said so openly in 2014.