Tapper presses IDF spokesperson on Palestinian civilian casualties

CNN’s Jake Tapper pressed an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson over Palestinian civilian casualties from the country’s offensive in Gaza on Wednesday as part of a contentious interview covering the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas militants launched a wide-scale attack on Israel on Saturday, and fighting has continued apace since, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and more than 1,000 Palestinians, according to Israeli media and the Palestinian government.

Tapper spoke with Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus, who defended the nation’s airstrike campaigns on Gaza, which have demolished entire neighborhoods. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that nearly two-thirds of the wounded in Tuesday’s airstrikes were women and children.

Conricus said the IDF only targets Hamas military buildings.

“With all due respect, how good is your intelligence in Gaza anymore?” Tapper asked.

Conricus said Israel’s ability to track military targets is “intact” while acknowledging criticism of the country’s military, which was caught off guard by the Hamas attacks Saturday.

“I’ve seen, personally, many types of targets that we have. The resolution of the intelligence, as in whose house it is, which Hamas commander uses the facility or what the offices in a certain building are used by Hamas for,” Conricus said. “I can tell you that the intelligence is solid and it is focused and that we are striking targets that are directly related to Hamas and not targets that don’t have anything to do with them.”

But Tapper continued to push back.

“You’re not saying that every missile that hits within Gaza — and I don’t even know how many have hit since Saturday, and again I understand the desire and the need to go after the Hamas threat, I’m not questioning that — but you can’t really be arguing that every single missile is hitting a Hamas target,” Tapper said.

“Every single missile is intended for a Hamas target,” Conricus responded. “There is definitely, clearly, in any campaign or any bombardment in dense urban terrain, there is collateral damage. Yes, that is clear and yes, that is unfortunate. It is unfortunately part and parcel of combat in urban terrain.”

Israel has blocked Gazans from leaving the territory, briefly closing its only border crossing with Egypt on Monday while continuing to prevent humanitarian aid from entering the area — despite pleas from the United Nations.

Hospitals are at capacity and running out of medical supplies, while the region’s only power station shut down over a lack of fuel Wednesday, the Palestinian government said.

Israel’s chosen military strategy — to bombard Gaza with an unprecedented amount of airstrikes all over the small, 141-square-mile territory — has raised questions about how Israel will move forward after the campaign ends.

“Is the end game here the elimination of Hamas totally? And if so, what comes after that?” Tapper said.

Conricus replied, “Those are questions that will be answered a little bit ahead of time, and I don’t have answers for them now.”