The Practice of “Roof Knocking” from the Perspective of International Law

Abstract

Israel first employed the practice of “roof knocking,” whereby warning shots are fired at the roof of a building defined as a military target, during Operation Cast Lead, and has used it in subsequent operational strikes in the Gaza Strip. UN Human Rights Council commissions of inquiry have determined that the practice is an ineffective means of warning and amounts to an attack in itself, and thus does not uphold international law. Examining the legality of roof knocking from the perspective of international law, this article argues that the practice is an effective and necessary cautionary measure, given the unique circumstances that characterize warfare in the Gaza Strip, and that it is goes above and beyond the requirements of international law. In addition, roof knocking as a means to prevent harm to civilians during an attack on military targets in a densely populated urban area is a strategic tool that can maintain and even expand Israel’s freedom of operation, within its national security doctrine.