GEN1363 The moral dilemma of possibly having to kill innocents while fighting in a war has been found in actual incidents .. in the Bible. … Abraham was worried that he had “used up” any rewards [promised by God] due him because he might have killed [innocent] people during the war, says Rashi, and God reassures Abraham.   Genesis 15:1.   An analogous emotion ws expressed by Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, when he was faced with a similar emotion and situation.   When confronted with the possibility of fighting his brother, Esau, along with Esau’s entourage, the verse states that Jacob felt two emotions: he was both fearful and distressed.   Answering why the verse uses both verbs, Rashi explains that Jacob was not only distressed that he may be killed (since he might be found unworthy to continue living) but was also distressed that me might kill innocent people during the confrontation … who had no intention of harming Jacob or his family.  … An even more explicit reference regarding Jewish understanding of the issue of collateral damage is the action of King Saul, who was commanded to kill all the Amalekites.  When he approached the city that mostly contained Amalekites but also some people from the Kenite tribe, he warned the Kenites to leave [the] city immediately so that they would not be killed accidentally during the battle.   Samuel 1 15:5-6.   Thus, we see another Torah precedent legitimately worrying about collateral damage.   AMJV 62-3