Israel pursued legitimate military objectives in Gaza despite humanitarian cost, study says. Israel did not violate the rules of war during its recent Gaza operation, a new US study says, while praising the IDF’s « impressive improvements » since the war against Hizbullah in 2006. Israel « deliberately used decisive force to enhance regional deterrence and demonstrate that it had restored its military edge, » wrote Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. « These, however, are legitimate military objectives in spite of their very real humanitarian costs. »