quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

Meanwhile, the press breathlessly whines about why such an advanced force like the IDF, needs to use such archaic and ancient methods....yet none of these commentators have ever worn a uniform, been in the field at any length nor dealt with complications that need to be dealt with ASAP. The video game generation thinks that all problems can and should be dealt with futuristic technology yet are mystified that diesel engines and riding horseback are still used.

Not to mention that, if they did use high-tech, and hence expensive means, to solve the problem, they'd be lambasted for using a $100K solution to a $5 problem.

Rolling balls of fire like the movie Troy!

https://www.breitbart.com/midd...last-two-more-weeks/

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday that it had destroyed half of Hamas’s terrorist forces in the city of Rafah, and that the rest of the operation would take two more weeks.

The IDF entered Rafah in early May — against the wishes of the Biden administration — to destroy the four Hamas battalions that remained there, having destroyed at least 18 of the 24 battalions in fighting elsewhere in Gaza since late October. The White House relented but insisted on a slow pace, with limited use of heavy munitions, and care to avoid civilian casualties.

The IDF raced to secure the Philadelphi Corridor — the road along the Gaza-Egypt border — and the Rafah border crossing. It has since fought a steady, methodical, house-to-house and tunnel-to-tunnel battle against Hamas there.

The Jerusalem Post reported:

The IDF on Monday said that its Division 162 has defeated half of Hamas’s battalions in Rafah, including killing at least 550 terrorists, as well as destroyed around 200 tunnel shafts, and eliminated the terror group’s last major rocket inventory.

Further, the IDF said that within a couple of weeks it would likely be in control of all of Rafah and that the final battles with the remaining two Hamas battalions in parts of Tel al-Sultan and the eastern part of Shabura are already underway.

..

Currently, the IDF says Division 162, commanded by Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, has already achieved operation control of over 60-70% of all of Rafah with all of the 1.4 million or so civilians having long fled to al-Muwasi on the coast, central Gaza and Khan Yunis.

Times of Israel noted:

Of the four battalions in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, two — Yabna (South) and East Rafah — are considered to be almost completely dismantled, while the capabilities of the other two — Shaboura (North) and Tel Sultan (West) — are somewhat degraded due to IDF operations.

Along the Philadelphi Corridor, the IDF said it located hundreds of rockets, including dozens of long-range projectiles aimed at central Israel. Also in the border area, more than 200 tunnel shafts have been located, leading to many underground routes.

…

The IDF said it located at least 25 “long” tunnels that reach the border with Egypt, some of which likely cross into Sinai and had been used by Hamas to smuggle weapons. The military said it was investigating these tunnels further.

Israel has lost 22 soldiers in the Rafah operation.

I find it hard to believe that HamAss is that organized militarily with battalions and squads.
If they are, they had/have outside help.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
<snip>
The IDF on Monday said that its Division 162 has defeated half of Hamas’s battalions in Rafah, including killing at least 550 terrorists, as well as destroyed around 200 tunnel shafts, and eliminated the terror group’s last major rocket inventory.
<snip>
Israel has lost 22 soldiers in the Rafah operation.

Very sorry for the loss of those 22 soldiers, but a very good kill/loss ratio.

Today 8 IDF soldiers were reported killed in a blast. Sad, but as Pipesmoker said, a very good kill ratio.

1000 to 1 is still too many. Fuck anyone's "good kill ratio".

I would that the IDF kill 100% enemy to 0%.


Imagine if the current U.S. administration did not collude to interfere, but stated "whatever Israel needs, and press on to victory!" how quickly this fucking shit show would have been won and done, the casualties on both sides would be minimal, more hostages would have been saved, less "innocent" Arabs in Gaza would be dead.

But, make no mistake, the current administration has caused more deaths on all sides for the pandering they are doing.

Imagine if President Trump were sitting in the White House today. This war would probably be over by now with minimal if any loss to the Israelis and we would be talking about something else.

It probably wouldn't have started.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
<snip>Fuck anyone's "good kill ratio".
<snip>

I don’t think I deserved that insult.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
<snip>Fuck anyone's "good kill ratio".
<snip>

I don’t think I deserved that insult.

I'm pretty sure that monkey did not intend that as a personal insult, but was expressing the idea that no Israeli losses are "good." If I am correct in that interpretation, I totally agree with him.

Times of Israel Reports:

quote:

3 weeks before Oct. 7, IDF Gaza Division warned of Hamas plan to attack, take 250 hostages
Report reveals Sept. 19 document that specified terror group was training for mass assault on south; ‘I feel like crying, yelling, swearing,’ says soldier involved with memo

By ToI Staff
Hamas terrorists near Kibbutz Nir Oz during the massacre on October 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah)
A document compiled within the IDF’s Gaza Division less than three weeks before October 7 warned that Hamas was training for a large-scale invasion of Israel during which hostages would be taken en masse, the Kan public broadcaster revealed Monday.

Titled “Detailed raid training from end to end,” the document was circulated on September 19 and was reportedly brought to the attention of at least some senior intelligence officials, but apparently ignored. Kan did not specify who produced the document or clarify who may have seen it.

Reportedly based on information from Military Intelligence’s Unit 8200, the document estimated the number of hostages Hamas was aiming to seize at 200-250, according to Kan, citing unnamed security sources. During the actual October 7 massacre, 251 hostages were taken and 1,200 people were killed amid acts of brutality.

The document described a series of exercises that the Palestinian terror group’s elite forces were carrying out, including drilling for raids on Israeli towns and military posts, and training on how to hold soldiers and civilians hostage inside Gaza and in what circumstances they could be killed.

“At 11 a.m., several companies were observed gathering for prayer and lunch before start of training,” part of the document states. “At noon, equipment and weapons are distributed to the fighters, after which a company headquarters drill takes place. At 2:00 p.m., the raid practice begins.”

quote:

The document was brought to the attention of senior intelligence officials, at least within the Gaza Division, the unnamed security officials told Kan. The government and top military leaders have contended they were not warned about an imminent planned invasion at the time.

The report added that the most extreme scenario the Gaza Division had prepared for before October 7 was dozens of terrorists breaching the border in three spots — far less than the estimated 3,000 who ended up entering Israel via some 30 breaches during the onslaught.

US-Built Gaza Pier To Be Dismantled Early Amid Ongoing Failures

https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...mid-ongoing-failures

Following the latest weather and choppy seas setback, the US-built aid pier off Gaza has resumed operations as of the end of this week (Thursday), the Pentagon said, after it broke apart last month. It's been an on-again off-again situation and the controversial and costly pier project has by and large proven ineffective.

But despite aid reportedly now rolling off the pier once again, Israeli media on Saturday has documented more embarrassing issues, including apparently broken off parts from the pier still washing up to shore far away from its location...

The Associated Press has written in a fresh report that "Aid groups have sharply criticized the plan to bring aid by sea into Gaza, saying it’s a distraction to take pressure off Israel to open more land border crossings that are far more productive."

This week The New York Times essentially declared that the expensive Biden project is an utter failure and that it will be dismantled earlier than expected.

"The $230 million temporary pier that the U.S. military built on short notice to rush humanitarian aid to Gaza has largely failed in its mission, aid organizations say, and will probably end operations weeks earlier than originally expected," the Times wrote.

"In the month since it was attached to the shoreline, the pier has been in service only about 10 days. The rest of the time, it was being repaired after rough seas broke it apart, detached to avoid further damage or paused because of security concerns," the report continued.

Top US military officials have also acknowledged the failure of the project: "The pier was never meant to be more than a stopgap measure while the Biden administration pushed Israel to allow more food and other supplies into Gaza through land routes, a far more efficient way to deliver relief. But even the modest goals for the pier are likely to fall short, some American military officials say," according to NYT.

This project was never fundamentally about hungry Palestinians, but more about White House PR and damage control amid an avalanche of international and domestic criticism over Biden's contradictory Gaza policy.

More at link

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
The expensive Biden project is an utter failure and it will be dismantled earlier than expected.

This line sums up the entire Biden Administration, IMO.

How progressive.

Only in America, only in government can you waste $300,000,000 and keep your job.

The White House choose the worst/least-feasible option and allowed it to snowball, accumulating L's and bad PR when everyone involved and many more outside all said the same thing. Wrong tools, for the wrong job.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Only in America, only in government can you waste $300,000,000 and keep your job.

When a private business makes a mistake, they pay for it. When our government makes a mistake, we pay for it.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
<snip>Fuck anyone's "good kill ratio".
<snip>

I don’t think I deserved that insult.

Certainly it was not an insult to you, and V-tail is 100% correct.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...860061905#3860061905

Going forward, the soon coming Israel vs Hezbollah operations are going to hurt badly, and I have a lot of "skin" in this "game".

Israel will need much prayer, support and more in the coming weeks/months....


If, nothing else, remember who started all this shit...


(and if anyone ever perceives I responded to them in a unbecoming fashion, please email me if you desire. I will be honest in the reply to the query and hold all in confidence.)

Israeli Defense Tech is About to Have a Moment

quote:

The announcement from France that Eurosatory 2024 in Paris, one of the world's largest defense and security exhibitions was banning Israeli companies and Israeli nationals from participating has sent shock waves through the defense industry. The Macron government claimed its policy of Judenrein was in response to Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza. In marked contrast, Hamas’s sponsor and global terrorism proliferator Iran faces no such ban. Indeed, no other country in the world was banned from Eurosatory but Israel.

The ban affected over 70 Israeli defense firms, including major companies which were scheduled to showcase their latest technologies and weaponry at the event, as well as innovative startups with recently battle tested solutions needed to advance the cause of western civilization on battlefields across the globe​​​​. If these firms are not permitted to sell their products legitimately to friendly partner nations, the less scrupulous among them will turn elsewhere. While a French judge struck down the ban at the last minute, it was already too late for most on the Israeli side to recoup. This is a morally abhorrent moment we must take time to properly understand. This current path leads inexorably to the collapse of western civilization in favor of the Islamists and Marxists who have joined forces against us. The age of short wars is likely over, and we must prepare for protracted conflicts.

....