How does the IDF designate and demolish targets in the midst of civilian infrastructure?

The IDF broke down the process of identifying, analyzing, approving, and eventually striking buildings in central Beirut without damaging surrounding civilian structures.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 16, 2024 03:51

A F-15 fighter jet flies during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at Hatzerim Airbase, in southern Israel, June 29, 2023. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

The IDF explained the process the military goes through before authorizing a building for an airstrike in an IDF announcement.

The IDF broke down the process of identifying, analyzing, approving, and eventually striking buildings in central Beirut without damaging surrounding civilian structures.

"Our two main goals are to damage Hezbollah's capabilities to produce precision missiles and to dismantle its weapons depots - most of them in the heart of the civilian area in Dahiyeh," a commander in the IDF's Beirut department said.

The step-by-step process

The first step is for the Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) to designate the building as being used for military purposes, in this case, due to the presence of Hezbollah missile storage in the basement of the building.

After that, the decision is made to attack the building due to the danger it poses to Israeli citizens and territory.

The officer explains, "We might think the next step is for a jet to drop a bomb on the building; however, if the jet drops a bomb randomly from the sky, he can damage significant parts of the surrounding area."

He mentions that it could hit a window, the roof, or the garden next door, which would not achieve the desired demolition of the building.

The process for preventing this is rather "complex," he says. First, specialized officers familiar with the IDF's arsenal of munitions can match them to the operation and analyze the situation.

"Think for a moment; despite outwardly appearing similar, the internal constructions of many buildings vary, even on the same block," the officer explains.

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These differing foundational structures alter the expected effectiveness of certain munitions, thus requiring tailored targeting for each structure before factoring in other variables, such as the plane's speed and the strike's timing.

"This, plus many other factors beyond my understanding, are what lead to successful demolition strikes, such as we see in this video," he says.

In the specific instance seen in the video, the IDF used a one-ton bomb called  "Heavy Hail" that was used to target the underground Hezbollah weapons facility.

The strike commander said the bomb was pre-programmed with a GPS location, including 3D imaging allowing it to hit the exact floor the correct height from the ground.

The IDF emphasized that it does all it can to ensure that civilians are not harmed during its attacks, including announcing "targeted evacuations" via the IDF's Arabic spokesperson, Col. Avicahy Adraee.