Lots of sporadic artillery fire on the northern Gaza border. Rounds impacting in ones and twos at random intervals and in seemingly random locations. Not a pre offensive bombardment. This is hitting selected strong points and observation posts. I'm assuming GPS guided rounds.
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Israeli's directly admitting to the IDF commando raids along the eastern Gaza border in a press release.
Hamas indirectly admitting to those raids happening by claiming to have successfully ambushed one (it's possible, but rather unlikely). Hamas also claiming to have killed a "lot of US Marines" in that raid (insert stock pic jacked from Internet of flag draped coffins from the Iraq/Afghan wars).
We know that didn't happen because the Marines are still about 5 days out of range.
IDF announcing that they've conducted a much larger raid on the northern border of Gaza. This time using conventional forces (not Special Forces), with tanks and heavy APC's. Attacking numerous positions, destroying them and then withdrawing back into Israel. That explains the sporadic pinpoint artillery fire.
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Wondering what happened to the one possibly two quad copter drones with anti-tank weapons that Hamas used to break through the fence.
And we have video from the northern front. In the standard IDF potato cam mode.
Single platoon of Merkava 4 tanks (some with cope cages) with combat engineer support (two bulldozers, a couple of heavy engineer APC's).
Classic set piece breaching operation. Dunno if this is the only platoon sized operation or if there were others.
The bulldozer driver job must feel like a really lonely spot. It is armored but not like a tank and it has no weapons.
@crazyuncleharris
Israeli Defense Force - an umbrella term for the Israeli army, air force, and navy.