Israel-Gaza War, Air Force

What Would It Mean for the IDF to Actually "Flatten" the Gaza Strip?

Calcalist aerospace expert Nitzan "The Captain" Sadan crunched the numbers, showing that a total flattening of all buildings in the Gaza Strip would not only be prohibitively expensive - but also militarily ineffective.

Even with all the intense fighting and bombing, only a small portion of Gazan buildings has been damaged, let alone destroyed. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

With IDF dead and wounded reported almost every day from the fighting in Gaza, some political leaders have called for simply "flattening" the entire settled area in the Gaza Strip rather than risk soldiers in house-to-house fighting.

Calcalist aerospace expert Nitzan "The Captain" Sadan says this is a grave mistake.

First, Sadan notes, it's important to realize that for all the intensity of IDF bombing since the Gaza war began, just 18,000 of the estimated 200,000 buildings in the Gaza Strip (according to UN estimates) have been damaged to one degree or another. In other words, even with all the heavy and intense strikes, many of the buildings that were hit are still standing and most remain largely unharmed.

To truly flatten every single building in the Gaza Strip would take a full year, 131 billion NIS (close to double Israel's entire defense budget), and a determined and careful effort to destroy each and every building's foundations.

As Sadan notes, even the air forces of WWII did not come close to entirely destroying whole cities, including Dresden and Tokyo, and even the Hiroshima bombing "only" destroyed about 67% of the city's physical structure. Simple physics and the weakening of explosions due to distance and obstacles prevents a true wipeout even with atomic weapons.

Most importantly, "wiping out" all of the Gazan infrastructure would be no guarantee of eliminating the Hamas threat, as much of the rubble would serve as excellent and easy cover for ambushes of all kinds. So the effort would likely be for naught, an act that would not even achieve its stated aims.

The IDF approach of targeting only places where terrorists reside or which they use for attacks or coordination is thus the right way to go, as frustrating as it is, and as frustrating as it is to hear Israel's critics claim its air forces are simply bombing indiscriminately when the truth is very much the opposite.

Operation Swords of Iron Hamas IDF Air Force

Comments

Do not send comments that include inflammatory words, defamation and content that exceeds the limit of good taste.

The comment was sent successfully.
Soon the response will be examined by our editors and if it is found to be correct it will be published on the website.
The comment was sent successfully.
Soon the response will be examined by our editors and if it is found to be correct it will be published on the website.


Tulkarem, a hotbed of terror

IDF and Police eliminate terrorist leader in Tulkarem
Avi Nachmani | 11:15

And We're Not Even An Empire!

The IDF strikes again...in Beirut | Watch
Avi Woolf | 11:12

How are injuries classified?

Mild, moderate or critical? Inside Israel's injury classifications 
Gila Isaacson | 10:32

Iran using Syria to transfer weapons, not anymore

Used for weapon transfers: IDF attacked crossing points on the Syria-Lebanon border
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 00:00

Terrorist arrested following todays attack

Hours later: The suspect in the car-ramming attack near Modi'in Illit has been caught
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 13.11.24

Soldiers ambushed in South Lebanon 

Details on the incident that killed 6 IDF soldiers in Lebanon battle
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 13.11.24