IDF's newest heroes: Women spotters on Gaza border
Dozens of terrorists have been hit after being identified by the 18- and 19-year-old female spotters.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Gaza Israel news IDFAt an Israel Defense Forces command center at Kissufim on the border with Gaza, six 18- and 19-year-old female soldiers sit staring at black-and-white screens that show what's happening inside the Strip.
When fog sets in and the monitors become useless, the spotters switch to radar. They are under the command of a woman their own age who, for her four-hour shift, is responsible for monitoring dozens of kilometers inside Gaza.
In the middle of the command-center room, on a raised podium with additional screens, a seat is reserved for the operator of a "see and shoot" system. This technology is capable of identifying a band of militants or a lone individual; it can also direct heavy machine-gun fire into the Strip from a tower near the border. There are similar facilities at all four battalion command centers along the frontier.
The IDF Spokesman's Office regularly reports about military actions taken against bands of militants spotted inside Gaza. Less known, however, is that in almost all these incidents, the initial detection and even the gunfire is carried out by these spotters, who have only become fully operational in the past year and a half. Dozens of terrorists have been hit after being identified by the spotters.
"If I don't report to the force on the ground that the person is armed, they will not shoot at him," says Sgt. Sapir Gonen, a lookout shift commander at the Nahal Oz command center on the border. She says that "every soldier at the command center needs the operational skill to know what weapons look like ... and how an armed man conducts himself, as opposed to someone who is not armed." She called the job "a very great responsibility."
The spotters often argue with the commanders of ground forces over potential targets. "I have to make it clear to the company commander that [he] happens to be a guy with rank, but a spotter is sitting here and she sees things from a better angle," Gonen said. "And we have experience of people who are here all year."
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" and fires from behind women and children?" Show it...
Page 297. Many dead male Hamas fighters wearing female outfits. Goldstone still managed to criticize Israel for killing them, because they (the IDF) could not have known that they were male. Apparently in the mid East, females do not know how to fire an AK47.
Fantastic, Elohim..., must be waking-up. (Technologically and Telepathy) CHAZAK VE-EMATZ!!
Sitting watching a screen in a totally secure room in a totally secure building doesn't sound very heroic to me.
"Dozens of terrorists have been hit after being identified by the spotters."
"You seem adept at analyzing and characterizing military matters" Let's see some 'adept' " Tell me, how would you characterize a soldier who ditches his uniform.." His what? They DON'T WEAR Uniforms remember, You seem to have hashed the Hasbara. LOOK! http://www.google.com/search?q=hamas+don't+wear+uniforms Get it right!! ".. puts on female clothes" A disguise. Camouflage is a disguise. Do Special Ops wear a uniform? Can you see if there are women inside a tank? Can you see their uniform? How about from out sea on a ship, out of sight of the target, firing artillery. Can you see their uniform? " and fires from behind women and children?" Show it.
The last thing they need is another zealous, clueless defender with two left feet destined to deflect yet another goal into their net, as the score is already an embarrassing 62-0 in favor of Israel. Hadassah grandmothers are awaiting the call to start building a PA State. They can get the job done whereas chronic whiners and excusers of Palestinian corruption, violence, and self-seeded stupor as yourself still are in a quandary about things.
whats the problem with firing at terrorists trying to infiltrate yr border, attack yr country ? clearly the problem you have is that they are being stopped from murdering jews.
armies stopped using bows and arrow jim a long way back ! why dont you fire your local police force jim? is it because the criminals dont give up ?
You seem adept at analyzing and characterizing military matters. Tell me, how would you characterize a soldier who ditches his uniform, puts on female clothes, and fires from behind women and children?
True Heroes of our time .
So now its come to the point where women are using the stick to beat the Palistinians. What a disgrace.
defend their Country against terrorist as first class citizens --proud and pride
You still remain clueless and disingenuous about what is going on in Gaza. You sound as dense about the situation there as the Palestinian lady I just heard on national public radio being interviewed by BBC regarding Yousef's collaboration with Shin Bet. She could not come to believe that he could do such a thing and she actually wondered what G-d he served, yet she purposely did not address Yousef's claims about the Palestinians themselves being killers of their people. She knows better as she lives there but she'll still lie publicly and thereby personally assist in prolonging the development of a sensible Palestinian State. You on the other hand would need a GPS to find Gaza and you ignorantly lend your lack of knowledge to help perpetuate their plight by not insisting that they own up to their mostly self-inflicted mess. Those lovely Israeli girls would rather be striding along Tel-Aviv's beaches with their boyfriends, but not when Hamas rats are gnawing at Israel's jugulars.
Well i guess seing as 75% of the charideem dodge the draft as they are to holy you see , then we have to send in our women folk.
What a hideous discription of HEROES.What kind of hero will be needed in the future in this never ending occupation?..........PEACE NEVER?
There is not much heroic in looking at a screen and killing at a distance. In a normal world they would be called criminal cowards.
How about a pin up calender of these ladies! I bet it would be a #1 hit... no pun intended! You go girls!
Testing testing testing
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Fabulous women doing a very important job. Best to all of you.