Veni, vidi… and understood!?

There is something about modern wars that keeps bothering me.

We constantly hear people talk about civilians and combatants as if the distinction were still as clear as it was fifty or a hundred years ago. As if we still lived in a world where a soldier wore a uniform, belonged to an identifiable army, and fought on a relatively defined battlefield.

But it only takes a look at today’s conflicts to realize that reality has changed.

Hamas fighters dressed as civilians.

Tunnels beneath entire neighborhoods.

Weapons caches hidden in populated areas.

Citizens sending information through their smartphones.

Apps designed to report enemy movements.

Drones operated by people who have never formally belonged to an army.

And then a question emerges. It sounds simple, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to answer:

Who is actually participating in the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)