Every day in Israel, sirens interrupt ordinary life. Families stop what they are doing and run to bomb shelters.

The missiles being launched toward Israeli cities are not aimed at military bases. They are aimed broadly at civilian areas, neighborhoods, homes, and communities.

Yet when Israel responds, it is expected to maintain strict distinctions between military targets and civilian populations.

This contradiction has sparked a growing debate inside Israeli society: when attacks come from sovereign states, how should responsibility be defined?

For years Israel’s wars were primarily fought against militant organizations rather than sovereign states. In those conflicts, the expectation was clear: militants are the enemy, civilians are not.

But the debate changes when the conflict involves states with governments, institutions, and territory from which attacks originate.

Iran is not a hidden terrorist network. Lebanon is not simply an underground organization. These are sovereign states with governments and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)