2023 Israeli female tank crew fight
| 2023 Israeli female tank crew fight | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Battle of Sufa, the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, and the Gaza war | |||||
Merkava Mk 4 Barak | |||||
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| Belligerents | |||||
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| Israel | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
| Al-Qassam Brigades | |||||
On 7 October 2023, seven female Israeli tank crew members from the Caracal battalion fought against Gazans who they alleged were Hamas continuously for 17 hours. The battle was the first instance in modern military history of an all-female armored unit taking part in combat. According to Israel, they killed 50 militants.
The performance of the unit, and other acts by Israeli female soldiers, on October 7 impacted the way women were viewed in the IDF and in the integration of women in the army, symbolizing a significant shift after a prolonged struggle for acceptance.
Director Ayelet Menahemi and writer-actress Eleanor Sela announced in December 2023 that they were working on a movie about the all-female tank unit's activities during the October 7 attacks.
Israel has promoted its female tank crews as part of its public relations war within the conflict.