Gaza: The Israeli army Saturday said its soldiers were forced to open fire on a donkey laden with explosives as it approached their position in the southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border.
The animal was sent by Hamas militants on a suicide mission, Israeli Defence Forces said in a press release on its website, adding that they had received prior intelligence that militants were going to try to use animals to carry out attacks.
“They used this donkey as a human shield, or an animal shield, if you like,” said Major Arye Shalicar, an army spokesperson. “Anything, an animal or an international building, that can help make use of innocent people or international (citizens), they will use it. We see it time and again.”
The use of donkey in a mission of this sort may have been one of the “surprises” Hamas promised lay in store for Israel in the event of a ground invasion.
Donkeys are in ready supply in Gaza and several attempted donkey-assisted attacks were reported in the West Bank and Gaza during the Israel-Palestinian conflict of 2000-2005.