Apparently, I’m responsible for introducing the term “non-residential areas” for footways in the Israel Wiki. I agree this is inappropriate.
The general OSM guidelines highway=footway do not make a distinction between residential and non-residential areas.
I also agree that path is not necessarily unpaved.
I suggest the updated wiki to say:
path: A pathway too narrow for vehicles, i.e. a “single”. Usually unpaved. Accessible by foot, bicycle, and horse. Use “bicycle=designated” where the path is part of a bicycle trail.
footway: A path used mainly/exclusively for pedestrians.