The Israeli military deploys an ancient catapult in combat.
Israel's military possesses one of the most advanced militaries in the world. A recent video reveals Israeli soldiers using an old-fashioned catapult, known as a trebuchet, at the country's border with Lebanon. The clip shows Israeli troops firing flamethrowers beyond a high wall using the ancient contraption. The exact date and location of this video are unknown.
The Israeli military acknowledged this "local initiative," claiming they're utilizing the trebuchet to ignite the abundant foliage on the opposing side of the border, which would obstruct the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah, their arch-enemy. Hezbollah has been clashing with the Israeli army in the border region since the escalation of the Gaza War over eight months ago. Currently, the region suffers from scorching temperatures, leading to swift wildfires.
The US online magazine The War Zone hypothesizes that the Israelites' reliance on the trebuchet stems from the exorbitant costs of modern weapons, such as rockets and artillery shells. It also poses a potential diplomatic issue if modern weapons are deployed to spark blazes in Lebanon.
The trebuchet, or the traction trebuchet, is the largest and most accurate projectile weapon from the Middle Ages and was conventionally employed during sieges. Invented in China between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, this device became popular in the Arabian Peninsula and later throughout the Mediterranean via the Mongols. The trebuchet emerged in Central Europe around 1200 AD. This weapon functions by a lever principle. On one arm side, there's a counterweight, which generates the force to accelerate the weight on the long arm end, where the sling containing the projectile is attached.
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The Lebanese military has expressed concerns about the unusual military tactics used by Israel, including the use of a trebuchet at the border. Due to ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in the region, there have been speculations that Israel may be exploring unconventional methods to gain an advantage.
