what is roof knocking

Roof knocking is a tactic used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to warn inhabitants of a building that it is about to be attacked. The IDF drops non-explosive or low-yield devices on the roofs of targeted civilian homes in the Palestinian territories as a prior warning of imminent bombing attacks to give the inhabitants time to flee the attack. The practice was employed by the IDF during the 2008–2009 Gaza War, Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 to target the homes of police officers or Hamas political or military leaders. The IDF developed the roof-knocking tactic to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. The technique involves firing warning shots at the roof of a building defined as a military target. The practice has been controversial, as many human rights and news organizations have shown that roof knocks have killed and injured civilians.