[News Terms] 'Salami Tactics' to Minimize Military and Civilian Casualties

The Israeli government has officially announced a 'Ground Operation' against the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, and it is known that they will employ a 'salami tactics' approach, gradually expanding the front lines rather than deploying a large-scale ground force all at once.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Salami tactics derive their name from the Italian sausage 'salami,' which is thinly sliced for consumption. The term originates from the Italian word for salt, 'Sale.' In the 1700s, to preserve meat that would spoil quickly at room temperature, people devised a sausage heavily salted to extend its shelf life. This salami is large, very salty, and strongly flavored, so it is eaten in very thin slices.

Just as salami is eaten in small slices, the 'salami strategy' refers to a negotiation method where a single task is subdivided and tackled piece by piece. Instead of aggressively pushing for all objectives at once during negotiations, breaking down issues into the smallest possible parts and addressing each sequentially can maximize benefits. The origin of this strategy dates back to the 1940s when Hungarian Communist Party Secretary M?ty?s R?kosi eliminated his political opponents one by one like slicing salami, incorporating Hungary into the communist bloc.

Salami tactics also aim to create the effect that even seemingly absurd claims become accepted as normal if repeated continuously. Japan's persistent assertion that Dokdo is their territory, attempting to establish it as an international dispute area, is an example of this approach.

Recently, Hamas kidnapped around 200 hostages, including Israelis and foreign nationals residing locally, during Gaza Strip supply operations, releasing them gradually one or two at a time to delay the Israeli ground invasion?a strategy referred to as 'salami release.'

In response, since the 27th, the Israeli military has adopted salami tactics by gradually expanding the front lines rather than launching a full-scale ground deployment. Instead of widening the ground operation area within the Gaza Strip, they are focusing on destroying Hamas tunnels and ambushing Hamas operatives. This salami tactic is expected to reduce Israeli troop and civilian casualties, increase the chances of rescuing hostages, and effectively eliminate Hamas simultaneously.