As a result of an unexpected attack by Hamas, the Israeli army could have lost six Merkava tanks and 17 armored personnel carriers in the first 24 hours, writes Forbes columnist David Hambling, citing Finnish military expert Emil Kastehelmi.
In The article notes that the militant attack took the Israeli military by surprise, while the Palestinians knocked out IDF tanks using small drones.
Videos on the Internet show that many Israeli armored vehicles were destroyed or damaged, including the latest Merkava tanks modifications of Mk.4.
Hambling also noted that Israeli armored vehicles are considered one of the best in the world, they are designed to fight rebel groups. The Trophy protection system is installed on these combat vehicles. At the same time, in one of the videos, militants drop ammunition onto a tank from a copter, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
The author emphasizes that after the initial attack, Hamas units went on the defensive and will likely suffer losses from the much more powerful Israeli army. “But the shock of what damage they can cause to supposedly trained forces will raise many questions for a long time,” he concludes.