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The Israeli army continues to prepare for a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The goal: free hostages and destroy Hamas, which has killed more than 1,400 people in the terrorist attack on Israel.
But urban warfare poses a major risk to Israel. The Hamas fighters are well connected in the Gaza Strip via a gigantic tunnel system and know their area better. This allows them to attack from ambush and move from one place to another unnoticed.
The training of Israeli soldiers therefore takes place at the Tzeelim army base, among other places, writes the Daily Mail. The armed forces conduct urban warfare in an area of 24 hectares. What’s special: The complex is an artificial city nicknamed Mini-Gaza.
Stunning similarity
Since 2005, the fake city, located about 16 kilometers from the border with the Gaza Strip, has been used as a training area. There the soldiers practice hand-to-hand combat.
The resemblance is uncanny. Mini-Gaza features a market square, minarets, apartment buildings, tunnels, narrow streets and even Arabic graffiti. The aim is to imitate the urban environment in which the soldiers are deployed as authentically as possible.
During the exercises, the soldiers also take on the role of Hamas. They wear red-and-white checked scarves and brandish assault rifles.
The facility, which includes approximately 600 buildings, was built with U.S. assistance. The mini-Gaza cost the equivalent of about 50 million francs. Up to 2,000 soldiers can train at the same time.
The dummy city was built between 2000 and 2005 after the Second Intifada. The Israeli army found it necessary to train troops more intensively in urban warfare.
More than 1 million people on the run
It remains to be seen how useful the training in Mini-Gaza will be for the coming ground offensive. After the major attack by Hamas on October 7, the Israeli army put the Gaza Strip under constant fire and completely closed off the densely populated coastal area.
The army called on 1.1 million residents in the north of the Gaza Strip to flee to the south. According to Palestinian information, around 2,750 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip so far. (bab)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
