Israeli soldiers are the masters of street fighting. It is unlikely that there has been a single month in the 75-year history of the Israeli state in which members of its security forces have not been involved in some form of urban warfare.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) have fought on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank during the first and second intifadas, as well as in towns and villages in southern Lebanon. They have developed tactics, now adopted by armies the world over, for moving through occupied urban areas by blasting holes through buildings. And through endless urban battles – known as FIBUA, fighting in a built-up area – the IDF have become experts in maximising enemy casualties while minimising their own.
The fighting is likely to be ferocious as Israeli infantry root out Hamas gunmen from the smouldering remains of Gaza city
This weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation against Hamas had now entered its ‘second stage’, adding that ‘the war in the Strip will be long and difficult and we are prepared for it.’
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