A phenomenological analysis of subterranean operations in the Israel Defense Forces

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the experiences of IDF soldiers involved in subterranean operations in Gaza. While tunnel warfare is a central element in warfare, few sociological studies have focused on this element of combat. In-depth interviews reveal the day-to-day experiences of the specialised combat engineering units tasked with subterranean operations during the past two decades. The themes identified are: ‘Operational activity in tunnels as an experience’, ‘Courage and danger’, ‘Selection and classification of manpower’ and ‘Accumulating experience’. An awareness for generational differences in the narratives allows an analytical model based on four different models for organising forces for operations in tunnels.

KEYWORDS:

• Post-heroic war
• tunnel operations
• Gaza
• unit cohesion
• IDF
• Israel Defence Forces
• Hamas

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Ben-Shalom and Benbenisty, “A Time of War,” 371–94.

2. Stern and Ben-Shalom, “Beyond Faith and Foxholes,” 241–66; and Stern and Ben-Shalom, “Confessions and Tweets.”

3. Wikan, “Toward an Experience Near Anthropology,” 285–305.

4. Coker, The Warrior Ethos; Luttwak, “A Post-Heroic Military Policy,” 33–44; Kober, “From Heroic to Post-Heroic Warfare,” 96–122.

5. Kober, “From Heroic to Post-Heroic Warfare.”

6. Beck, “War is Peace,” 5–26.

7. Schwarz, “Prescription Drones,” 59–75.

8. Richemond-Barak, Underground Warfare.

9. Hecht, Hamas Underground Warfare; Marcus, “Military Innovation and Tactical Adaptation,” 500–528.

10. Shapir and Perel, “Subterranean Warfare: a New-Old Challenge,” 51–57.

11. Marcus, “Military Innovation and Tactical Adaptation,” 500–28.

12. Legro, “Military Culture and Inadvertent Escalation,” 108–42.

13. See note 11 above.

14. See note 12 above.

15. Desjarlais and Jason, “Phenomenological Approaches in Anthropology,” 87–102.

16. Berger and Berko, “Mental Attributes of Subterranean Warfare,” 26–32.

17. Hecht, Hamas Underground Warfare; Marcus, “Military Innovation and Tactical Adaptation,” 500–528.

18. Arnold and Fiore, “Five Operational Lessons,” 55–71.

19. Marcus, “Military Innovation and Tactical Adaptation.”

20. See note 5 above.

21. Leon, “Heroic Text in a Post-Heroic Environment,” 634–47.

22. See note 7 above.

23. See note 6 above.

24. Coker, The Warrior Ethos.

25. Ben-Shalom, Lewin and Engel, “Organizational Processes and Gender Integration.”

26. See note 5 above.

27. See note 25 above.

28. See note 11 above.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Uzi Ben Shalom

Uzi Ben Shalom is Chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ariel University, Israel.

Niv Gold

Niv Gold is Head of the Mental Health Section, the Department of Mental Health, IDF Chief Surgeon.

Corinne Berger

Corinne Berger is a post-doctoral resident at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ariel University.

Nehemia Stern

Nehemia Stern is a military anthropologist and a post-doctoral resident at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ariel University.

Avishai Antonovsky

Avishai Antonovsky is Head of Research Section, the Department of Mental Health, IDF Chief Surgeon.

Dvir Peleg

Dvir Peleg is LTC (Retired) and Research Associate, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ariel University