Hamas on Thursday launched an intense video highlighting a real-time instance of one of many greatest issues Israeli navy planners doubtlessly had for his or her invasion of Gaza.
The 84-second video is shot from a helmet-mounted digital camera. It reveals a Hamas fighter hiding beneath the duvet of bushes after coming out of a tunnel or cover as an Israeli Merkava major battle tank rumbles down a dusty street east of Gaza Metropolis’s Al-Zaytoun neighborhood. The fighter makes a mad nine-second sprint towards the tank and locations an improvised explosive system (IED) normal out of a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) on the tank’s hull subsequent to the again finish of its turret. He then runs again to the tunnel entrance and fires what Hamas mentioned was an Al-Yassin-105 RPG on the tank.
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He does all this whereas the enterprise finish of one other Merkava tank is pointing in his common route.
Because the Hamas fighter runs towards an Israeli Merkava tank, the barrel of one other one is pointing in his route. (Hamas screencap)
After the RPG is fired, there’s a brilliant flash of fireside on the tank. It’s unclear whether or not the IED positioned on the tank or the projectile brought on the explosion.
A ball of fireside is seen on the tank, although it stays unclear if that was the results of a projectile or the explosive system positioned on the hull.
The video continues because the Hamas fighter seems to scramble again down into the tunnel or cover across the 1:10 mark. It ends with one of many Hamas fighters later choosing up a bit of metallic, presumably indicating it’s a part of the tank.
A Hamas fighter picks up a bit of metallic, presumably after the assault on the tank.
Hamas on Telegram claimed the tank was destroyed. It’s unclear, nonetheless, how badly broken, if in any respect, the closely armored Merkava was after this engagement. There isn’t a imagery of a broken or destroyed tank. The blast may have additionally been from the Merkava’s Trophy energetic safety system activating and blast the RPG spherical out of the air earlier than influence. What occurred to the IED is unclear.
Regardless, the video reveals the vulnerability of armor when not working in live performance with infantry forces in what’s often known as mixed arms maneuver. The Hamas fighter was capable of run as much as the tank unimpeded, then run again to the tunnel entrance and hearth off an RPG. Whereas there are different tanks seen within the video, no Israeli infantry seems seen, although it’s potential there are some out of the slim vary of view such a digital camera has.
It additionally showcases the myriad issues tunnels pose to Israel that we raised in a narrative we wrote concerning the challenges of getting into Gaza.
From that report:
“There’s probably what quantities to a whole metropolis of tunnels and bunkers beneath Gaza’s floor,” [chairman of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute (MWI) John] Spencer wrote [in a paper on the topic]. “Because it did in 2014, Hamas needs to be anticipated to make use of tunnels offensively to maneuver attackers underground, holding them each hidden and guarded, to conduct shock assaults. The group will even use them defensively to maneuver between preventing positions to keep away from IDF firepower and floor forces.”
That is solely made worse contemplating the complicated and dense city setting that makes up a lot of Gaza, the place threats can come out in tight areas the place armor has restricted room to maneuver and even detect the menace earlier than it is too late.
Hamas has given journalists excursions of its in depth tunnel networks beneath Gaza through the years.
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Israel has misplaced 18 troops thus far in its Gaza invasion, with Hamas claiming a number of assaults on Israeli armor. There have been 11 Israeli troops from the Givati Infantry Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion killed and one other 4 wounded Tuesday when a Namer armored personnel service was struck by a Hamas anti-tank guided missile, The Occasions of Israel reported. The Namer is a turretless spinoff of the Merkava.
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With an especially risky battleground and extremely managed info setting, we don’t know the precise circumstances surrounding the Namer assault, together with whether or not it concerned Hamas fighters rising from a tunnel. Both approach, that incident illustrates one of many many risks Israeli armor faces towards a well-armed, well-entrenched enemy, one thing else we famous in our report.
Given the probability of a protracted and bloody marketing campaign in Gaza, Israel will lose extra troops and tools to Hamas fighters, many probably coming out of tunnels. Destroying these tunnels, as we famous earlier at the moment, is a giant aim of the invasion.
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