The doctrine is defined in a 2009 report by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel as follows: "The military approach expressed in the Dahiye Doctrine deals with asymmetrical combat against an enemy that is not a regular army and is embedded within civilian population; its objective is to avoid a protracted guerilla war.
Laporan Public Committee Against Torture in Israel tahun 2009 mencantumkan bahwa: "Pendekatan militer yang ada dalam Doktrin Dahiya mengacu pada pertempuran asimetris melawan musuh yang tidak terdiri dari pasukan reguler dan ada di dalam warga sipil; tujuannya adalah menghindari perang gerilya besar-besaran.