JERUSALEM, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Israeli forces will use dogs when boarding ships trying to break the Gaza blockade in the future, military sources said.
The decision is a response to the bloody confrontation on the Mavi Marmara on May 31, the Jerusalem Post reported. Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed, Israeli commandos were attacked, and Israel faced global condemnation.
Military planners see boarding operations as the trickiest part of intercepting aid ships.
In future operations, specially trained dogs will be put on such ships first to ensure commandos can board safely, the Post reported.
Using the Oketz canine unit will require dog trainers and their animals to train together with naval commandos.
"The dogs are weapons in every sense -- like snipers or tank shells -- but they are biological weapons," Yehida, an online military magazine, said in an article on the unit. "They are animals that should be bonded with and trained for the missions they will face."
During testimony before the Israeli commission investigating the Mavi Marmara incident, the chief of general staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, hinted that snipers would be used in confrontations with ships carrying people considered violent and armed.
