מים מלוכלכים (חלק שני)

"Is it true that Israel used to harvest the cornea's of dead Hamas fighters?"

"Dude, those were our biggest export for years."

"Why did commanders name this operation 'Dirty Water'? Is the seawater that polluted?"

"It has nothing to do with the seawater, Goy. Our objective is to color the water red with the blood of non-believers, of those who would murder innocent Israeli civilians. That's why it's called 'Dirty Water.'"

"If I get captured by Hamas fighters, can I trust one of you boys to kill me before they saw my head off and send it to my parents?" 

"We're way ahead of you, buddy. The Hannibal Directive allows us to kill any Israeli soldier abducted by Hezbollah or Hamas fighters. We'll make sure you're dead long before anyone puts a knife to your throat."

Sometimes the dead time between missions can make you start overanalyzing your circumstances, which is an easy way to psyche yourself out. It almost makes me wish for something to shoot at, if only to take my mind off the situation on the ground here.

Andrea

"If I could sub out Eddie's semen for yours, I would. I'd much rather be having your baby than his."

מים מלוכלכים (חלק ראשון)

I was dispatched to Israel to aid the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in locating and clearing Hamas's underground tunnel network in Gaza.

Israel's Ministry of Defense had decided to flood the underground tunnels with seawater to force Hamas fighters out into the open; rifle squads stationed at entrance and egress points would then close with and destroy them as they attempted to flee.

I was issued a rifle and Medai Bet upon my arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. Touching base with IDF leadership in Tel Aviv, the commanding officer in charge of the operation gave me one simple command: "If it isn't Israeli, kill it."

Roger that. 

An hour later our IDF convoy arrived in Gaza City, responding to reports that a tunnel complex had been discovered beneath a Palestinian elementary school. 

Our orders were to augment and assist Israeli ground forces engaged in close combat and hostage rescue operations inside the tunnel. 

We were informed upon our arrival that six soldiers had been killed in an attempt to recover Israeli hostages stowed inside the tunnel. Six more soldiers were seriously wounded by Hamas fighters deploying booby traps, grenades and small arms fire.

No hostages were found inside the tunnel: the rumor had been a ruse to lure Israeli forces into the tunnel where Hamas fighters lay in wait. 

Israeli military commanders realized too late that they had been routed into a narrow corridor; in the darkened confines of the underground tunnel complex, the corridor became a shooting gallery.

The six body bags sitting at the mouth of the tunnel entrance coupled with the bloodstains on the squad leader's uniform told us everything we needed to know about what was waiting for us inside those tunnels.