Israeli Military’s High-Tech Edge: Live Monitoring of Troops and Hamas Operatives
WSJ: “Israeli military monitors troops and Hamas members on TV screens
Troops, drones, and jets maneuver strategically
Information warfare led to Hamas seizing government facilities in 14 days
Information warfare involves tunnel destruction and hospital encirclement
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The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are reportedly engaging in urban warfare in the northern Gaza Strip by real-time monitoring of the positions of their troops and Hamas militants. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on November 14 that commanders of Israel’s critical infantry unit, the Givati Brigade, deployed in the Gaza Strip ground war, are maneuvering troops, weapons, and reconnaissance aircraft like chess pieces from a small, one-story building near the Gaza border.
◇WSJ: “Israeli Military Manages Troop, Weapon, and Reconnaissance Aircraft Movements in Real-Time”
This building serves as a central hub of a vast technological nexus, receiving thousands of battlefield data points from drones, jet fighters, naval vessels, tanks, and soldiers. This information warfare enabled the Israeli military to occupy key areas of Gaza City, minimizing its own casualties to less than 50, within three weeks of starting ground operations on October 27, according to WSJ.
The commanders at this command and control center are consulting with military logistics experts to choose appropriate weapons for localized drone attacks or building-collapsing jet fighter strikes. They can also directly communicate with field officers and nearby combat helicopters.
A senior officer of the Givati Brigade described the command center as a decision-making machine.
In response to a surprise attack and mass killing by Hamas on October 7, Israel displayed overwhelming technological and military superiority throughout the war, weakening Hamas forces and clearing obstacles for tanks and troops deployed in the ground invasion of Gaza City through thousands of airstrikes.
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◇ Israeli Military Takes Control of Key Hamas Government Facilities in 14 Days of Ground War Using Information Warfare
Thanks to the same information warfare, the Israeli military announced that it had occupied key facilities such as the Hamas parliament, government offices, and police headquarters in Gaza City on the 14th day of the ground war. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, also said, “We have taken control of the ground areas in the northern Gaza Strip, especially in Gaza City.”
The WSJ predicted that these facilities will play a more critical role in the coming weeks as the Israeli military concentrates its forces to destroy the massive underground tunnel network of Hamas and the Hamas leaders based there and to transition the battle to a more localized stage.
The Israeli military has so far discovered 160 entry points to the underground tunnels serving as Hamas bases and destroyed the tunnels using explosives from the air or ground, but it is not clear how much of the tunnel network has been damaged, the newspaper reported.
In particular, the role of this information facility is expected to grow even more in the Israeli military’s operation against hospitals such as Al-Shifa, which Hamas uses as a command post but where many civilians have been admitted or taken refuge, to minimize mass casualties and prevent the escape of Hamas members.
The Israeli military surrounding Al-Shifa Hospital has identified whether there are Hamas members among the 1,000 people leaving the hospital by correlating information obtained from conversations with people in the hospital, signal communications listened to by ground forces, drones in the air, and intelligence officers, the WSJ reported.
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◇ White House: “Hamas Utilizing Al-Shifa Hospital as a Military Operation Base”
Meanwhile, John Kirby, the White House Strategic Communications Coordinator, said during a briefing on board a plane to San Francisco for President Joe Biden’s attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, “We have information confirming that Hamas is using Al-Shifa Hospital as a base for military operations. They are storing weapons there and preparing to respond to attacks by the Israeli military.”
Coordinator Kirby went on to say, “Such actions constitute war crimes. We do not want to see combat taking place in a hospital where innocent people are.”
He also emphasized that such actions by Hamas do not lessen Israel’s responsibility to protect civilians.
By. Ha Man Joo
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