In the maneuver sector of the 252nd Division, there have already been humanitarian pauses in recent days. InBeit Hanoun itself there are no pauses, because there are almost no civilians left there. They responded to the IDF's calls and went down to the southern Gaza Strip. But in Jabaliya the pauses are in effect, and between about 10:00 and 14:00 they don't fire.
At the division headquarters in the south opposite Gaza, the experience of war is different. All the sickening Lilliputian anguish and arguments on the home front fade away in the presence of the fighters and commanders. The division has actually come under operational control in Beit Hanoun, and the fighters feel that they can do whatever they want there, although if you ask, some will tell you that it's better not to go there with shorts and flip-flops.
Can always jump a terrorist from a shaft
The underground range allows terrorists to leave and return to the area. The old notions that you conquered territory and advanced are no longer valid. Behind you, a terrorist can always jump out of some tunnel shaft. Political climate change almost coincides with changes in weather on the way to the south. Between Beit Kama and Latrun you start at 34°C, pass a very rainy area, and reach the turn to Jerusalem on the way back at 20°C.
In the vicinity of the kibbutzim, the slogans on the signs speak of "omission", Netanyahu's picture stained red with the words "guilty", "free from racism", of course. But when you approach the moshavim and Ofakim areas, the omission becomes "Ofakim is a city of heroes" and "Restoring honor to the people of Israel." Fragment paper kites are replaced by a steel vehicle. The veteran and reminiscent 14th Brigade fights the Merkava Mark 3.
IDF ground maneuver in Gaza, photo: IDF Spokesperson
The division discovers that it is possible to fight even without a windbreaker, and that when you act correctly, you are less injured. A difficult test is expected next week. Rain will probably start, which will change ground conditions and offenses. Maneuvering in open areas is expected, and driving on paved roads may expose the armor to impact.
The division's armored forces have so far not encountered Kornet missiles by direct fire - perhaps due to the early thwarting of quite a few anti-tank squads, among others. This was carried out by early detection of the vertebrae and their elimination. Overall, this fear of anti-tank missiles did not materialize as expected. This achievement is attributed to the prolonged aerial preparation and excellent operational intelligence. At the division headquarters, where the fighting and firing are conducted, you can see on the screens the aerial observations, which make it possible to locate any potential danger or any enemy commander or terrorist who is positioning.
How long will it take?
The question everyone asks is whether it is possible to eliminate Hamas, and the answer is with a recurring question: What does "eliminating" mean? At the combat level, the feeling is that it is possible, but it depends on the political echelon and the length of breathing of the people of Israel. At this stage, the mission is military and very clear. Most of the fighting is in the Shati camp. The army knows how to achieve the goals, but the main thing is national patience.
"Anyone who is against religion and Islam." Sinwar, photo: AFP.
We don't want to commit to how long it takes, but a mission along the lines of "Bring me Alfredo Garcia's head" – or Yahya Sinwar, in the case of Hamas – is a story of about six months.
There are predictions that can be heard, and not necessarily from the 252nd Headquarters, that within three weeks there will be a "clarification" of the situation and a kind of initial decision, and then there may be a limited ceasefire, as was also the case in the War of Independence. We go out to fight and go into a pause, and then again.
The army and the people will have to push the political echelon, demand that it put its butt on the hot political pan, and allow the IDF, while paying a heavy national price, to complete the mission at this irrevocable opportunity. Not everyone in the IDF thinks that the Israeli system has the necessary breathing space.
Intelligence is excellent
For me, the division has my shoes gathering dust, and I am warned, off-the-record, that sand on the shoes will prove a good orientation in the field. The truth is that after all the years of training, the senior commanders of the division did not believe that they would see the 252nd Division again in operational maneuvers in the field. The last time this happened was 40 years ago.
The combat method is built on the fact that the headquarters sees all the intelligence material. The problem is the excess of information, and the fact that staff officers are required to choose from it what to make available to the battalion commander at the end. The goal must be made accessible to the commander in the field, and these reservists know how to do it well.
Galant at a meeting with the families of the abductees. Much depends on the home front, photo: Ariel Hermony, Ministry of Defense
Because of its geographical location, the division was the first to be available to the IDF during the first days of the war. Her unit went to the line to block the gaps with fire, and another unit carried out tasks that normally do not belong to the army. For example, the evacuation of hundreds of vehicles in which bodies lay for three days, on the Reim-Bari route. Its soldiers helped the Moshavniks, who were in existential anxiety, bring food to the cows.
But in the past two weeks there has been a sense of turning point, some would say relief. The division eliminated many hundreds of terrorists, who cannot always be counted because of the tunnels, or because in eliminating commanders by name - it is impossible to know how many were eliminated by each name. Over the weekend, the division lost five of its infantrymen.
"In our polarized reality, the division is a wonder to me," I heard one of the commanders. He calls it the "Workers" Division. "This is a meeting between all ends of the spectrum socially and class-wise, and everyone is in unity of purpose. The camaraderie of warriors is incredible. Are there abductees? We were kidnapped from life. To me, it's a wonder."
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