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Israeli forces have lost 392 soldiers since the start of the war against Hamas. Among them are four K-9 dogs from the Oketz special unit, who fell on duty saving the lives of soldiers inside Gaza during ground operations.
The four Belgian dogs were awarded military honors in recognition of their service on the battlefield and buried in the unit's cemetery, according to Oketz protocol.
K-9 on the front lines
Oketz is part of the Marom Special Operations Brigade and has been on the front lines of the war since the start of ground operations, supporting the Israeli army's special forces. The four dogs had undertaken one of the most critical missions: to find the traces of the hostages in the ruins of Gaza but also to discover the underground tunnels of the Islamic organization and protect the soldiers by "detecting" the ambushes in the buildings.
One of them, Ghendi, was killed by Hamas fighters during the process of clearing a building in Gaza. After checking the first two floors, he was ambushed by members of the organization who shot him thinking he was an Israeli soldier.
"Dogs sacrificed for Israel will be honored like all our soldiers," an IDF spokesman said. According to the Israeli military spokesman, Gendi, Mido, Taiga and Jack were awarded posthumously after fighting in operations against Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
In the hospitals and tunnels of Gaza
Denver, one of Oketz's dogs still in Gaza, found two bombs near Al-Radisi hospital and a roadside bomb inside the compound's perimeter. Denver "announced" his unit and his pyrotechnicians neutralized the explosive devices using a drone. Another K-9 discovered a body riddled with explosives and bullets, while on several occasions the unit's dogs entered the organization's tunnels with cameras mounted on them, and in one case tracked down and attacked a Hamas operative.
"The dogs helped find weapons and explosives at Shifa hospital and helped us find the bodies of two Israeli women, 64-year-old Yahudi Weiss and Noa Marciano, who were killed by Hamas," an IDF spokesman told Kathimerini. Since the start of the war, Oketz pastoralists have discovered more than 50 ambushes, car bombs and heavy weapons belonging to the Islamic group.
"The contribution of military dogs to the continuous fighting that took place throughout the previous time in Gaza City was crucial. Our officers and dogs participate in all missions, regardless of the degree of danger, and are determined to operate as long as necessary," said the Israeli army lieutenant colonel, who asked to remain anonymous. / Kathimerini
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