AssetID: 53251072
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Israel To Bury Hero Hounds Lost In Gaza With Full Military Honours
Caption: This video shows: The Oketz unit in action. Four Israeli military dogs are set to be buried with full military honours after they died during Israel Defense Force operations fighting Hamas in Gaza. The quartet of Belgian shepherd dogs from the specialised Oketz (K-9) unit of the Israeli Defence Forces, operated alongside the Marom Special Operations Brigade and were crucial to detecting more than 50 booby-trapped devices, including bombs. They also helped detect weapons, and ammunition stockpiles - and helped recover the bodies of two hostages kidnapped by Hamas. They were involved in operations at the al-Shifa, Turkish, and Rantisi hospitals. Israeli officials said soldiers and dogs discovered explosives in a room at the Rantisi hospital, as well as a weapons stockpile. In a statement, officials said: “Four dogs that fought alongside the troops were killed in combat while defending the soldiers in the Gaza Strip. They will be buried in the unit’s cemetery according to protocol.” The dogs that passed away in the line of duty were named Mido, Taiga, Jack, and Gendi. A dog named Denver is still alive but has also been singled out for his efforts detecting car bombs near Gaza’s Turkish hospital. The dog unit also helped locate the bodies of cancer patient Yehudit Weiss, 64, and soldier Corporal Noa Marciano, 19, at al-Shifa last week. Both died while in Hamas’ captivity - with Israeli officials stating the evidence points to them being murdered. Hamas claimed they had died during Israeli air strikes. The dogs, equipped with cameras, were also used to check the vast array of tunnels Hamas has built under Gaza.
Keywords: hamas,israel,war,conflict,gaza,news,feature,current affairs,dogs,animals,military
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