Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is unique in the history of modern warfare, marking the first time an army fights an entire war with precision weapons. The unprecedented level of accuracy has kept the number of civilian casualties dramatically lower than in past conflicts.
Nearly 100% of the munitions used by the IDF are high-precision weapons, military expert Amir Rapaport wrote in Israel Defense. The only exceptions were a few cases where artillery forces fired shells at open areas, he said.
Precision weapons deployed in Gaza include GPS-guided bombs used by the Air Force, as well as highly accurate missiles that can hit their targets through windows, the report said. In the 2006 Lebanon War, precise bombs accounted for only 63% of Israel’s firepower.
Despite international claims that Israel is bombing the Strip “indiscriminately,” the IDF is in fact engaged in a pinpoint operation to weed out terrorists hiding in urban areas. Gaza officials say that over 200 people have died in the fighting so far, compared to more than 2,000 in Israel’s last major operation in 2014.
Overall, the IDF’s Gaza Division used some 450 different types of munitions to strike terror targets and foil attempted attacks, the Ynet news website reported.
Air Force commandos deployed
The army also revealed that it deployed dozens of commando squads around Gaza armed with high-precision weapons. These elite forces use advanced missiles to eliminate rocket cells and Hamas anti-tank teams trying to ambush Israeli troops or hit civilian targets.
These types of precise munitions are normally reserved for wars or sensitive operations deep in enemy territory, Ynet said.
According to the report, the elite units now operating on the Gaza front include Maglan, Egoz, and Air Force commando unit Shaldag. The forces so far foiled dozens of anti-tank strikes and attempted raids on Israel.
Some 200 intelligence officers are coordinating extensive military operations from the Gaza Division command center, the Ynet report said. Air Force and elite infantry officers are also on hand to ensure maximal efficiency and boost cooperation between the different arms of the military.
Notably, the IDF relies on advanced technology, including big data, artificial intelligence, and six spy satellites to rapidly detect and destroy enemy targets.
