Senior officers spoke Tuesday at an annual IDF conference, where they addressed the dangers that characterize today’s evolving battlefield. Although enemies like Hamas and Hezbollah can attack Israel with heavy fire, the IDF is using intelligence-based combat to overcome complex threats.
Head of the IDF Operations Directorate, Major General Yoav Har-Even, recently discussed the significant dangers facing Israel, warning that enemies are exposing civilian areas to attack. According to Maj. Gen. Har-Even, who spoke Tuesday at an annual IDF conference, Israel’s home front could become an active battleground in a future conflict.
“The enemies around us understand that they can no longer achieve their objectives through the model they used in past years,” Maj. Gen. Har-Even explained. “They’ve changed their strategy from conquering territory to inflicting heavy fire on the home front.”
“The enemy does not necessarily seek to fight our soldiers directly,” added Col. R, a senior commander responsible for intelligence-based combat in the IDF. “It tries to avoid this outcome and instead attacks civilian areas. Those who ultimately absorb the fire are many kilometers behind our forces, and sometimes the fire comes from the depths of enemy territory.”
Both commanders stressed that the enemy is strengthening its tactics within a complex urban setting. “The IDF, which in the past was preparing for traditional warfare, is now readying to face terrorist organizations operating in urban territory,” Maj. Gen. Har-Even said. “The military’s traditional methods of activating forces have encountered problems, such as locating enemy forces and the source of fire.”
Using human shields
Terrorist groups position themselves deep within urban areas, where they use homes and civilians as shields against Israeli counterattacks. In recent years, they have also mastered the technique of disappearing underground.
“This is a critically important phenomenon,” Col. R stressed, explaining that terrorist forces intentionally avoid contact with Israeli troops. “This isn’t a Houdini disappearing act; there’s no magic here. [They] camouflage themselves in wooded areas, in population centers and inside of houses.”
According to Col. R, the enemy is replacing large weaponry with smaller assets strategically spread throughout its territory. As a result, IDF forces struggle to distinguish between opposing forces and their environment.
“It’s very difficult to strike the enemy without causing collateral damage,” Col. R stressed. “From an intelligence perspective, this environment is different from the one to which we’ve adapted,” especially regarding the risk of striking nearby civilians.
Focused intelligence: the key to facing threats
According to Col. R, these techniques have created a conflict in Israel’s approach to combating enemy forces. “More complex fighting requires more time for analysis,” he explained. “On the other hand, we must respond to threats immediately.”
In the face of these obstacles, IDF soldiers are learning to confront the reality of urban warfare.The military is building a force that aims to deter Israel’s enemies and win the battle if necessary. As part of these efforts, the IDF is developing techniques to counter heavy fire on the home front within a short period of time. This new approach “will accompany us in any broad conflict, from the first moment [of battle] until the last,” Maj. Gen. Har-Even said.
A key step in this process is making intelligence more tangible for fighters on the ground. “We’ve shifted our focus from disseminating intelligence to making intelligence more accessible [to fighters],” Col. R says. “This change has created a revolution. Who knows better than the combat soldier which intelligence he needs? It’s necessary to make intelligence more accessible so fighters can use it whenever and wherever they need it.”
No comments:
Post a Comment