Mar 26, 2026 19:03 pm IST

Is The Dreaded 'Dahiya Doctrine' Guiding Israeli Actions In Iran, Gaza, Lebanon?

Why do civilian areas and infrastructure repeatedly become part of Israeli action? An 'unofficial' but well-used military approach may be the reason.

Syed Zubair Ahmed Syed Zubair Ahmed Columnist

Syed Zubair Ahmed Columnist

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine this: millions of people in South Delhi are told to leave their homes overnight and move across the Yamuna to East Delhi. The warning is stark. Stay, and your life is at risk. But even the escape is dangerous. The bridges you must cross could be bombed at any moment. It sounds unthinkable in the calm, peaceful bubble of South Delhi, doesn't it?. 

And yet, this is exactly what has been unfolding in Lebanon. More than a million people fled southern Lebanon as Israeli strikes intensified. Entire communities are being uprooted, families carrying what little they can, uncertain not just of where they are going, but whether they will get there safely

A few days ago, that danger was captured in a moment that felt almost like a scene from a Hollywood war movie in its suddenness. British journalist Steven Sweeney, reporting for the Russian outlet RT, was covering the mass exodus while standing on a bridge over a river. In a dramatic 17-second video clip, a missile strikes the bridge. The screen shakes violently. For a brief, chilling moment, neither the reporter nor his cameraman is visible, leaving viewers fearing the worst.

They survived, miraculously, with minor injuries. But the aftermath has sparked fresh controversy. Sweeney, who was clearly identifiable in a flak jacket marked "Press", has accused Israel of deliberately targeting him. He says he was documenting what he described as the "forced displacement of one million people" when the strike occurred. Israel has........

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