A free-fire zone is an area in which any person present is deemed an enemy combatant who can be targeted by opposing military forces.
[2] Returning veterans, affected civilians and others have said that U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), based on the assumption that all friendly forces had been cleared from the area, established a policy designating "free-fire zones" as areas in which: Gunter Lewy estimated that 1/3 of those killed and counted as "enemy KIA" killed by US/GVN forces were civilians.
[4][5][6] Part of this stemmed from the doctrine requirements of producing "enemy body count" during the Vietnam War, which saw violations and statistical manipulations due to ongoing pressures from MACV on units.
[6] Free-fire zones were discussed during 1971 ad hoc (i.e. not endorsed by Congress) hearings sponsored by Congressman Ron Dellums (California), organized by Citizens' Commission of Inquiry on US War Crimes (CCI).
[8] Israel has been accused of treating Gaza as a free fire zone during the war, indiscriminately shooting Palestinians in areas that the Israeli military has asked people to leave.