The Dahiya doctrine, or Dahya doctrine, is an Israeli belligerent tactic involving the large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure, or domicide, to pressure hostile targeted parties. The doctrine is named after the Dahieh neighborhood (also transliterated as Dahiyeh and Dahiya) of Beirut, where Hezbollah had its headquarters during the 2006 Lebanon War.
The doctrine was outlined by former Israeli Chief of General Staff Gadi Eizenkot. The Israeli Colonel Gabi Siboni wrote that Israel "should target economic interests and the centers of civilian power that support the organization". The logic is to harm the civilian population so much that they will then turn against the targeted party, forcing that party to sue for peace.
In the context of the Gaza "war" since October 2023, GLOSM/PARES documents the use of this doctrine on healthcare since October 2023, and continues to see a pattern that it is not about "targeting economic interest." It is about conflating the targeting of interests as the same by destroying all objects used for healthcare, such as hospitals, clinics, medical warehouses, ambulances, fossil-fueled generators, including doctors, nurses, and people who are either inside or in the vicinity of these objects, to force people to turn against the resistance, and to force the resistance to surrender.
GLOSM/PARES considers the use of the doctrine on healthcare as an act part of the crime of extermination.
Please note that the documents contain data intended to be indicative, as we only record what we come across.