Gaza flattened for pay, not need: IOF reward operators for each ruin
2 Min Read
Hundreds of Israeli bulldozers, excavators, and armored Caterpillar D9 bulldozers continue their relentless work to make Gaza unlivable for years ahead.
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Palestinians inspect the rubble of the al-Aimawi family's home, destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in al-Zawaideh, Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP)
The official explanation from the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) for demolishing homes in the Gaza Strip is that the heavy machinery work is carried out strictly for operational purposes. They claim buildings are razed only when they pose a threat to soldiers or block military vehicle movement.
However, the payment system for bulldozer and excavator operators working in Gaza suggests otherwise. According to an editorial by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the military offers contractors 2,500 shekels (around $750) to demolish buildings up to three stories tall and 5,000 shekels for taller structures.
This payment scheme incentivizes contractors to demolish as many buildings as possible, as quickly as possible, something difficult to reconcile with claims that these actions are purely based on military necessity.
Moreover, operators are paid daily or monthly, often earning significantly more than they would for similar jobs inside "Israel", with some reportedly making up to 30,000 shekels a month. These high wages are meant to compensate for the dangerous conditions, which deter many from working in Gaza.
In reality, for many bulldozer operators, the work goes beyond pay; it reflects a deeper ideological drive. A significant number are Israeli settlers, while Arabs from the occupied territories in 1948, who make up a large share of "Israel’s" heavy machinery workforce, are notably absent.
Driven by vengeance
Conversations with both civilian contractors and military reservists suggest that many carry out the demolitions with a sense of vengeance, as they steer their machines through the devastated remnants of Gaza’s cities.
So, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiates a ceasefire with Hamas, hundreds of Israeli bulldozers, excavators, and armored Caterpillar D9s continue their relentless mission to make Gaza uninhabitable for years to come.
This level of destruction appears not as an unfortunate side effect of military operations, but as a deliberate objective.
Such actions are alarming. Under international law, the destruction of civilian property without clear military necessity, the disproportionate use of force, and the targeting of religious, medical, and humanitarian structures are considered war crimes, especially when carried out with the intent to displace populations or prevent their return.
