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 mentioned 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 help elite commando models and save the lives of troopers. Critics say the canines are used improperly to intimidate individuals.
Using canines got here again into the highlight this week when Admiral Hagari mentioned that the military just lately despatched a canine, geared up with a video digital camera, right into a constructing advanced to clear the world. The canine was shot and killed, and the animal’s encounter with militants was recorded by the camera.
The digital camera, later recovered, additionally captured the voices of three Israeli hostages who had been believed to have escaped after troopers killed the militants. The video grew to become a key piece of proof later, after the hostages had 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 had been killed.
Canine have misplaced their lives in Israel’s navy, often called 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 educated canines play an important position within the I.D.F.’s operational actions inside Gaza,” the put up 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 mentioned.
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 called for an international 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 battle in Gaza started, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported on troopers looking out the house of Palestinians within the West Financial institution using a dog to intimidate feminine members of the family. It was one among a number of incidents involving military dogs to generate headlines in Israel through the years.
Canine have a protracted historical past of collaborating in navy conflicts, going as far back as 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 practice 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 change into traumatized by war and bear psychological scars from their jobs, affected by canine post-traumatic stress dysfunction.