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JERUSALEM/ANKARA

The Israeli army is facing growing logistical and mechanical challenges amid the prolonged war in Gaza, with mounting technical failures affecting its tanks, armored vehicles, and weapons, according to Israeli media reports on Friday.

The daily Maariv quoted soldiers, company and battalion commanders, and senior officers as saying that military units operating in Gaza are increasingly hampered by worn-out equipment and a lack of spare parts.

"The 7th Armored Brigade reported Thursday serious difficulties in securing tank spare parts," Maariv reported. "Key components like engines, tracks, and control systems are being depleted from the army’s stocks, while other parts are simply unavailable."

A senior officer from the brigade, who was not named, told the daily: “We have been in a state of war for nearly two years in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and now again in Gaza. The vehicles are deteriorating rapidly, constantly moving from one mission to another.”

“No one was prepared for the possibility of such a long war. Every component has a lifespan, and we are reaching those limits,” he added.

The issue, Maariv noted, is not isolated to the 7th Brigade but affects all regular army units, including armored, artillery, and infantry divisions.

The daily cited a recent incident in which a technical failure in a tank cannon belonging to the Givati Brigade triggered a chain of events.

"The gun overheated and ignited a fire in a neighborhood in Jabalia, northern Gaza. A fire truck was dispatched to extinguish the flames,” the report said.

"After the fire was put out, the firetruck’s escort convoy was ambushed by Hamas fighters using improvised explosive devices, killing three soldiers and seriously injuring two others."

A senior military officer told Maariv: "Combat vehicles need maintenance, replacement, and renewal but the army is facing a severe shortage of spare parts.”

Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.