In a scene which has become familiar in Ukraine but not so much in the Middle East until now, Palestinian fighters released video footage of an attack on an Israeli Merkava Mk4 tank using a drone armed with what appears to be a mortar round. The round strikes the engine compartment, which unlike most tanks sits at the front of the Merkava, and the vehicle immediately catches fire from the inside.
🇮🇱🇵🇸 BREAKING: DRONES USED!
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) October 7, 2023
The Palestinians managed to knock out an Israeli Merkava Mk4 tank with a grenade from a copter.
Judging by the footage, the tank's mechanical maintenance compartment, located at the front, caught fire. pic.twitter.com/oUM9sWMLhX
The Merkava Mk4 is a very distinct tank that is only fielded by the Israeli military. The vehicle in the footage is no doubt a Merkava:
The tank strike is part of a comparatively well coordinated attack on southern Israel by a large contingent of Palestinian soldiers following a barrage of up to 5000 missiles into highly populated areas according to reports. The level of tactical sophistication on display during the event is unusual for the Palestinians, which will inevitably lead Israeli leadership to suggest outside influences (including Iran).
Small drones are becoming a game changer in modern warfare, making million dollar hard targets such as large tanks easy to strike using a few hundred dollars in equipment. While the incursion into Israel is in its infancy and all new information is difficult to confirm, there is clearly an updated style of warfare being used among the Palestinians that has, for now, given them a level of effectiveness that is surely disturbing to Israeli security officials.
