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naraburns  nihil supernum  6mo ago (text post)   12709 thread views

Israel-Gaza Megathread #3

This is a refreshed megathread for any posts on the conflict between (so far, and so far as I know) Hamas and the Israeli government, as well as related geopolitics. Culture War thread rules apply.

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Think they may do a couple more big raids like this and then call it a day. Saves a tiny amount of face for the government saying they were going to go in and destroy Hamas but isn’t an actual occupation which “ex-IDF” and “ex-Mossad” types are now openly briefing the Israeli and Western press as a suicidal move.

There are only couple of ways to deal with tunnels with acceptable casualties.

Flood them. Gas them. Blow their entrances. Start sending a shitload of automated roombas that carry grenades inside. All while you forfeit the hostages and hope hamas are honorable enough to give them a quick and clean death and not go pro streamed flayings, impalements and crucifixions.

There are only couple of ways to deal with tunnels with acceptable casualties.

You have drones now. Dealing with tunnels when finding out what's beyond the bend doens't involve coming into physical danger is much ,much easier.

I literally wrote roombas with grenades. But that doesn't mean that they have enough of them.

Drones with cameras go for about $500 these days.

You don't raelly need the roombas though, just knowing what's out there is usually good enough.

Israel is supposedly throwing smoke charges inside, sealing them, and then bombing all places where the smoke starts coming out. They don't seem to care at all about going down there, killing people inside is sufficient for them.

Drones with cameras go for about $500 these days.

How practical are these things for navigating tunnels? I imagine you'd need a pretty good operator not to crash into walls in such an unfamiliar and cramped setting, and who knows how many of those they have, along with the crews required to maintain the equipment and protect the operator so he doesn't get attacked (I imagine the ping, the unreliable infrastructure during battle, and the blocking nature of tunnels makes it so that drone operators need to be somewhat close to the drones). And logistically, even if they cost just $500 each, do they have sheer shipping ability to keep replenishing them as quickly as they get destroyed?

And logistically, even if they cost just $500 each, do they have sheer shipping ability to keep replenishing them as quickly as they get destroyed?

You buy them off Alibaba. Or assemble them from components bought there. Russia, Ukraine are going through hundreds weekly, easily. Maybe thousands.

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