A video of IDF reserve soldiers operating a trebuchet [a type of catapult] that circulated online on Thursday aroused the curiosity of viewers who wondered why one of the world’s most technologically advanced armies was using ancient warfare reminiscent of the Roman era.

The answer is that IDF reserve soldiers on the northern border have been operating trebuchets to shoot incendiary material to the Lebanese side of the border to burn the dense brush that Hezbollah uses to camouflage and obscure their positions.

Hezbollah terrorists take advantage of the dense vegetation to hide mortars, short-range rocket launchers and themselves, and the thicket makes it difficult for IDF soldiers to locate the Hezbollah cells hiding in the area. At the beginning of the war, the reserve soldiers used Molotov cocktails to try to burn the vegetation and expose the area. According to Lebanese reports, they also used phosphorus bombs that caused fires as well as incendiary drones.

In order to find a permanent solution to the problem without using valuable artillery, reserve soldiers decided to assemble a trebuchet, the tool used for hurling stones and burning objects for hundreds of meters that was used in Europe until the 15th century.

According to reports, the IDF commanders were not pleased by the medieval solution and instructed the soldiers to use explosive drones.

The IDF responded to the report by stating, “This is a local initiative and not a tool that is widely used.”

“The area on the Lebanese border is characterized by boulders, thickets, and dense thorn vegetation, which poses a challenge to the IDF troops deployed to defend the area.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)