They seek for explosives and are the primary members of the Israeli navy to enter tunnels and different areas that might have traps within the Gaza Strip.
Israel is relying closely on canines in its navy marketing campaign to push Hamas and different militant teams out of Gaza’s maze of tunnels and blasted buildings. “Canine are doing superb work,” the Israeli navy’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated in a briefing on Friday, after the navy launched a video of a canine exploring a tunnel.
However the canine unit additionally attracts criticism. Israel says its canines assist elite commando models and save the lives of troopers. Critics say the canines are used improperly to intimidate folks.
Using canines got here again into the highlight this week when Admiral Hagari stated that the military lately despatched a canine, geared up with a video digital camera, right into a constructing complicated to clear the realm. The canine was shot and killed, and the animal’s encounter with militants was recorded by the digital camera.
The digital camera, later recovered, additionally captured the voices of three Israeli hostages who have been believed to have escaped after troopers killed the militants. The video turned a key piece of proof later, after the hostages have been mistakenly shot and killed by Israeli troopers, as a result of it confirmed that the Israeli navy had come near discovering the hostages earlier than they have been killed.
Canine have misplaced their lives in Israel’s navy, referred to as the Israeli Protection Forces. In November, the Israeli navy posted on social media concerning the deaths of 4 canines that helped uncover booby traps and stockpiles of weapons. “Specifically skilled canines play a necessary function within the I.D.F.’s operational actions inside Gaza,” the submit famous.
About 100 troopers yearly are drafted for a 16-month coaching course to hitch Israel’s canine unit, Israeli navy spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht stated.
The Israeli navy’s use of canines has been criticized. At a briefing on Sunday, Hussam Abu Safiya, head of the pediatric division of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza, accused the Israeli navy of unleashing assault canines in a raid on the hospital and referred to as for a world investigation, Turkish media reported. The Israeli navy raided the hospital over a number of days final week. A navy spokesman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In September, earlier than the struggle in Gaza started, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported on troopers looking out the house of Palestinians within the West Financial institution utilizing a canine to intimidate feminine relations. It was considered one of a number of incidents involving navy canines to generate headlines in Israel over time.
Canine have an extended historical past of collaborating in navy conflicts, going way back to 600 B.C. In 1942, america created the primary official canine military unit, and American particular forces used canines within the raids that killed the Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in 2011 and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the chief of the Islamic State, in 2019.
Nonetheless, this follow is controversial — the animals don’t have a authorized standing and are basically gear or expertise, and don’t enlist voluntarily. Like people, canines can turn out to be traumatized by struggle and bear psychological scars from their work.
