They seek for explosives and are the primary members of the Israeli army to enter tunnels and different areas that would have traps within the Gaza Strip.
Israel is relying closely on dogs in its army marketing campaign to push Hamas and different militant teams out of Gaza’s maze of tunnels and blasted buildings. “Dogs are doing amazing work,” the Israeli army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned in a briefing on Friday, after the army launched a video of a canine exploring a tunnel.
But the canine unit additionally attracts criticism. Israel says its dogs help elite commando models and save the lives of troopers. Critics say the dogs are used improperly to intimidate individuals.
The use of dogs got here again into the highlight this week when Admiral Hagari mentioned that the military lately despatched a canine, geared up with a video digital camera, right into a building advanced to clear the world. 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 army had come near discovering the hostages earlier than they have been killed.
Dogs have misplaced their lives in Israel’s army, often known as the Israeli Defense Forces. In November, the Israeli army posted on social media in regards to the deaths of 4 dogs that helped uncover booby traps and stockpiles of weapons. “Specially trained dogs play an essential role in the I.D.F.’s operational activities inside Gaza,” the put up famous.
About 100 troopers yearly are drafted for a 16-month coaching course to affix Israel’s canine unitIsraeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht mentioned.
The Israeli army’s use of dogs 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 army of unleashing attack dogs in a raid on the hospital and called for an international investigationTurkish media reported. The Israeli army raided the hospital over a number of days final week. A army 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 the home of Palestinians within the West Bank using a dog to intimidate feminine relations. It was one among a number of incidents involving military dogs to generate headlines in Israel over the years.
Dogs have a protracted historical past of collaborating in army conflicts, going as far back as 600 B.C. In 1942, the United States created the primary official canine military unit, and American particular forces used dogs 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.
Still, this practice is controversial — the animals don’t have a authorized standing and are primarily gear or expertise, and don’t enlist voluntarily. Like people, dogs can develop into traumatized by struggle and bear psychological scars from their jobs, affected by canine post-traumatic stress dysfunction.
