IDF bulldozers play central role in military operations against Hamas in Gaza

American-manufactured Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, nicknamed “Doobi” in Israel, have played a significant role in the Israeli military’s ongoing operations against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

Originally weighing 57 tons, the Israeli military has upgraded the D9 bulldozer with an additional 8 tons of steel armor. This enhancement allows IDF soldiers to safely navigate and neutralize explosives in the narrow alleys of Hamas strongholds in Gaza, making the bulldozers essential for protecting the lives of IDF soldiers on the battlefield.

Warrant Officer R., who serves in the Combat Engineering Corp’s Yahalom Unit, is in charge of the giant D9 bulldozer.

"Taking care of the equipment is of utmost importance to me," he said. The veteran soldier previously served in Lebanon, as well as the Judea and Samaria region (West Bank). He stressed that the current war against Hamas in Gaza is unlike anything he has experienced in the past.

"This isn't just another war. This war is far more intense," he stressed.

Because Hamas has booby-trapped many of the structures in Gaza, Israeli soldiers' lives are at risk every time they enter a new building. The D9 bulldozers play a central role in clearing and securing the path for their advance.

In many instances, the bulldozers are deployed to demolish booby-trapped buildings in Gaza. A skilled and experienced operator can bring down a building in under an hour. Additionally, the rubble from these demolished structures helps block escape routes for Hamas operatives from multiple tunnel entrances.

Booby-trapped buildings have been responsible for multiple deaths of IDF soldiers, In January, some 21 Israeli soldiers were killed when a Hamas RPG struck an IDF tank, while a second RPG caused the collapse of two buildings in Gaza that were pre-rigged with lethal explosives.

Lt.-Col. Ran, an engineering officer in the IDF’s 162nd Division, highlighted the resilience and unique abilities of D9 bulldozer operators.

"D9 operators are tough guys with distinct characters, without exception. Think about it: it’s a duo – a driver and a vehicle commander – who work detached from their home unit and are attached to a different force that needs them each time. It takes them time to build a rapport with the unit they've joined, to trust the people and to gain confidence,” Ran explained.

"The engineering equipment operator, like any combatant, needs a commander to say, 'follow me,'" Lt.-Col. Ran added. "But there’s no 'follow me' here – it’s 'after them."

He concluded his remarks by praising the IDF bulldozer operators as courageous soldiers who are always at the forefront of the confrontation with Hamas and other terrorist organizations that embed themselves in urban areas.

"They drive at the front of the force with the D9 and everyone else follows. It’s a tough mental challenge, entering an alley that no one has been in before, being the first to go in. But these people are heroes, every single one of them," Ran stated.