"Like October 6th": Surveillance soldiers warn again of terrorist activity and fire restrictions
Surveillance soldiers from two sectors report that Hamas terrorists are testing IDF responses, while authorizations to fire at threats on the "yellow line" are delayed by senior command.
Surveillance soldiers in the Gaza envelope report daily sightings of suspects on the "yellow line." According to them, requests to neutralize threats are met with delays from high-ranking officials. A surveillance soldier described an incident where an armed man was identified near the fence, but no authorization to fire was given.
"The Gazans know we won't shoot at them," one of the surveillance soldiers said. The soldiers fear that the current policy endangers the forces operating on the ground.
Surveillance soldiers serving in two different sectors have warned in recent days that they identify Hamas terrorists daily who reach the "yellow line" and pose a threat, but the forces on the ground do not receive authorization to neutralize them. The soldiers explained that Hamas is exploiting the new reality and testing the army's responses in a way that resembles the period leading up to October 7th.
"I feel like it's October 6th," said one of the surveillance soldiers. "The only difference is that we are identifying it at the yellow line and not at the fence. The Gazans aren't stupid; they are testing us all the time to see if we react. It's exactly like before October 7th."
The surveillance soldiers describe significant difficulty in obtaining fire authorizations:
"Fire authorizations come from very high levels. The higher you go in rank, the harder it is to get fire authorizations. If a battalion commander in the field usually approves it faster, the brigade commander, general, and Chief of Staff make it much harder to get authorizations."
"We go on shift knowing that if we have something, we will alert, but we have no physical means. If I know that in any case nothing will be done with my identification, then what is the point of me sitting eight hours a day and scanning?" wondered a surveillance soldier.
In recent days, an unusual incident occurred when a surveillance soldier identified a suspect with a weapon who was tampering with the ground, potentially laying an explosive device. Although commanders identified the real threat, the authorization to neutralize it did not arrive.
"It gets stuck at the top," the surveillance soldier recalled. "Once the political echelon issues an order that fire cannot be used, our hands are tied, and we are returning to October 6th. It feels like they want to maintain 'industrial quiet.' We alert and see the person right there, but they don't let us close the loop."
Facing the testimonies from the field, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that the policy is not changing: "Israel will continue to neutralize any threat to our citizens and soldiers." However, the surveillance soldiers express deep concern for the lives of the soldiers operating inside the strip.
"The soldiers are our fence, and they are a few hundred meters from these terrorists," they explained. "You can't just abandon them."
The soldiers expressed outrage that some of the terrorists identified now may be those who participated in the October 7th massacre. Despite the fear of personal consequences, the surveillance soldiers decided to break their silence.
The Prime Minister's Office responded: "The political echelon does not restrict the IDF from neutralizing any threat to our forces and citizens. In accordance with the political echelon's directive, the Chief of Staff has sharpened the open-fire regulations and emphasized: neutralizing a threat is the responsibility of every soldier in the field, and every soldier is expected to act decisively."
The Yesh Atid party led by Yair Lapid responded: "The return to October 6th has been completed under this failed government: Hamas has rehabilitated its power in the strip, and surveillance soldiers are again warning that it is preparing for an attack against Israel."
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett published: "As we warned: the October 7th government handed over Gaza to Qatar, and Hamas is rearming and preparing the next massacre before the eyes of the surveillance soldiers."
