The Israeli military has begun deploying the “Atalef” or “Bat” suicide drone, placing the UAV directly in the hands of ground platoons as the IDF gears up for a decisive new phase in Gaza City, while accusing Hamas of deliberately forcing civilians to remain in the city to shield its operations and manipulate international opinion.
The Bat drone is now “widely available to ground forces,” with each platoon able to operate the weapon “without needing Air Force involvement.” It is described as a “suicide drone” that loiters above the battlefield before striking targets, giving infantry units “direct offensive capability against terrorists inside Gaza.”
According to Channel 12 News, the Bat was “developed for the complex combat environment of Gaza City” and can navigate “tight alleyways and other confined spaces.” An IDF (Israel Defense Forces) spokesperson added, “It allows our soldiers to engage Hamas operatives at the tactical level with precision while reducing their exposure to danger.”
“Tens of thousands of soldiers are now trained to operate drones at the company and platoon level,” another official said, with the Bat used for “surveillance, detection of booby traps, and direct elimination of enemy cells.”
The Bat rollout coincides with the IDF’s “second decisive phase” in Gaza City, with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir telling soldiers the army will accept “nothing less than decisive victory,” and tens of thousands of reservists mobilized for the push.
Israeli officials say Hamas is deliberately keeping civilians in Gaza City to shield its terrorist infrastructure and amplify claims of “forced displacement” abroad. Defense officials estimate that 70,000 to 80,000 residents have fled Gaza City, most in the past 72 hours. One security official said:
The Hamas terror organization is doing everything it can to block the population’s movement southward in order to use civilians as human shields and for propaganda purposes. In practice, the public’s barrier of fear has been broken, and tens of thousands of residents have managed to bypass Hamas checkpoints and evacuate the city.
A recording released by the IDF depicts a Gaza resident telling a COGAT officer:
We want to go south but Hamas is blocking the way. They tell people: go back home, there is no evacuation, go back, go back — and people scatter.
Many residents are reportedly taking side streets and alternative routes, with Hamas operatives stationed along the seashore near al-Nabulsi junction and other areas, blocking main roads.
Despite Hamas’s obstruction, humanitarian corridors remain open, allowing tens of thousands of residents to continue evacuating Gaza City. “We call on the residents of Gaza City: take advantage of the time to evacuate southwards,” the IDF urged.
By distributing the Bat drone to every platoon while pressing ahead with mass mobilization for a high-stakes urban campaign, the IDF is pairing advanced technology with battlefield intensity, while officials stress that Hamas is deliberately keeping civilians in place to protect its operations and manipulate international opinion.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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