IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF OCTOBER 26TH, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES LAUNCHED A STRATEGIC RAID INTO NORTHERN GAZA. USING TANKS, ARMORED BULLDOZERS, AND INFANTRY, THE IDF SAID ITS RAID LASTED SEVERAL HOURS AND HELPED PREPARE THE BATTLEFIELD FOR THE IMPENDING GROUND INVASION INTO HAMAS HELD TERRITORY.

THE IDF RELEASED THIS VIDEO OF THE OPERATION. THERMAL CAMERAS MOUNTED TO VEHICLES AND DRONES SHOW A COLUMN OF ARMOR ENTERING NORTHERN GAZA. THE IDF SAID MERKAVA TANKS AND CATERPILLAR D9 ARMORED BULLDOZERS DESTROYED HAMAS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ANTI-TANK MISSILE LAUNCHING POSITIONS. NO ISRAELI SOLDIERS WERE INJURED IN THE RAID, WHICH FOLLOWED MORE THAN TWO WEEKS’ WORTH OF ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES.

Netanyahu-We are raining hellfire on Hamas. We have already killed thousands of terrorists, and this is only the beginning. Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be.

WHEN THE GROUND INVASION OF GAZA DOES COME, THE TYPES OF VEHICLES USED IN THE STRATEGIC RAID WILL BE COMMON SITES IN GAZA. THE ISRAELI MERKAVA MARK 4 TANK WAS BUILT FROM THE TRACKS UP TO FIGHT IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. THE TANKS USE A UNIQUE ENGINE-IN-THE-FRONT DESIGN AND CAN HAUL UP TO FOUR SOLDIERS IN ADDITION TO ITS CREW. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MERKAVA AT SAN.COM.

ISRAEL WILL ALSO USE D9 ARMORED BULLDOZERS. BULLDOZERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD ARE CERTAINLY NOT A NOVEL CONCEPT. THE US USED D9s STARTING IN VIETNAM AND THE IDF USED D9s IN PREVIOUS WARS AS WELL.

D9s ARE CALLED DOOBIS IN ISRAEL, THAT’S HEBREW FOR TEDDY BEAR, BUT I WOULDN’T CUDDLE WITH IT. THE IDF INSTALLS EXTRA ARMOR PROTECTION AROUND THE ENGINE AND CAB. BALLISTIC GLASS PROTECTS THE TWO-MAN CREW FROM SMALL ARMS FIRE, SNIPER ROUNDS AND SOME EXPLOSIONS. MACHINE GUNS MOUNTED TO THE TOP, SMOKE GRENADE LAUNCHERS AND TROPHY ACTIVE PROTECTION SYSTEMS ARE ALSO COMMON KIT ON THE ARMORED DOZERS.

DOOBIS DEPLOY FOR A NUMBER OF JOBS. THEY CAN HELP CLEAR MINES, IEDs, AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES. THEY CAN DEMOLISH ENEMY FORTIFICATIONS, ARE EFFECTIVE AGAINST DUG-IN POSITIONS, AND CAN EVEN BE OPERATED REMOTELY. THE IDF HAS ABOUT 100 DOOBIS AT ITS DISPOSAL, AND THEY WILL NO DOUBT PLAY A KEY ROLE IF AND WHEN THE ORDER TO INVADE GAZA IS GIVEN.

ISRAEL SAID IT DELAYED THE INVASION SO THE UNITED STATES CAN PRE-POSITION AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST. IRAN AND ITS PROXIES ALREADY ATTACKED U-S FORCES SEVERAL TIMES WITH DRONE STRIKES. THOSE ATTACKS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY ONCE THE GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA GETS UNDERWAY. PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID THE US WILL ACT SWIFTLY TO DEFEND ITSELF, ITS ALLIES, AND ITS INTERESTS IN THE REGION.