Footage being shared around the internet with loads of different messages shows an Israeli Merkava main battle tank providing overwatch for a humanitarian evacuation of civilians. According to some, the tank is forcing the Palestinians from their home at gun point, but the reality of the situation is that we've seen Hamas open fire at civilians multiple times to keep the civilians locked in place.

The reality on the ground is that Hamas has no chance of winning a fight against the IDF unless they can keep the civilian casualty numbers growing day after day. For Hamas, dead Palestinian civilians is their only hope of making the IDF capitulate to pressure from the international community. Without civilian casualties, the battle becomes another version of Operation Phantom Fury or the Battle of Mosul, where Hamas and their fighters are terribly outgunned and have no chance of winning.

Hamas knows this, and throughout the conflict we've seen instances of them both shooting at and directly killing civilians to keep them locked down in areas where they know the IDF needs to conduct combat operations. If the civilians stay in place, the IDF either cannot act, or they're forced to accept the collateral damage. Every time collateral damage occurs, Israel is directly blamed and the international community continues to apply pressure for a ceasefire, which is simply a return to the status quo for Hamas.

This video is evidence of both a bold and calculated move by the IDF. The armor can provide solid overwatch for the civilians while they evacuate, enabling them to clear the area that the IDF needs to operate. Unfortunately, the optics of the situation are easy to twist for the supporters of Hamas, who know that all they need to do is continue to mount political dissent against Israel's actions in order to try and force the IDF to call for a ceasefire.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com