In the middle of the night on a street in one of northern Gaza’s endless urban mazes, an IDF commander faced a dilemma. His unit’s progress was held up by a determined Hamas defense along a single block. The unit had discovered the entrance to a tunnel that appeared to be key to the stubborn delaying defense. Sending his soldiers down the tunnel presented a risk he was unwilling to take. But he had one important advantage—a team from a specialized IDF canine unit was integrated with his soldiers, and he was able to call on a dog and its handler that had been specially trained for underground warfare.
The IDF’s canine unit, the Oketz, has demonstrated how a highly specialized and well-integrated canine force can enhance operational effectiveness, safeguard human lives, and support soldier welfare in high-intensity combat. By examining the way that the IDF has employed this unit in Gaza—from remote canine operations to group deployment to mitigate psychological stress to integration of innovative, dog-specific equipment—the US military can adapt these insights to its own urban warfare capabilities.
Dogs in the IDF
The IDF’s military dog program was heavily shaped by the guiding influence of Professor Rudolphina Menzel, a pioneer in canine psychology. By the 1980s, the program became formally institutionalized as Oketz (“sting,” in Hebrew). Since then, the unit has played pivotal roles in every major conflict involving the IDF, from the 2006 Lebanon War to ongoing operations in Gaza.
Oketz sources nearly all of its military working dogs—99 percent—from breeders in Europe. The dogs are primarily Belgian Malinois, with some German Shepherds and Labradors. Each year, the IDF procures approximately seventy dogs, ensuring they are one year old to strike the right balance between developmental maturity and training flexibility. Their rigorous and multiphase training lasts up to two years and emphasizes bonding between handlers and dogs for operational cohesion.
Each Oketz dog is trained for a specialized role. Some are used tactically as attack dogs to neutralize threats in combat, while others work in explosive ordnance detection. Still others work to locate survivors or find the remains of fallen soldiers or civilians in disaster or combat scenarios. Among the most innovative ways Oketz employs its dogs is training some specifically for underground warfare to operating in tunnels, a frequent feature of combat in Gaza.
Yet it is not only dogs specially trained for subterranean environments that have proven vital during ongoing combat operations in Gaza. Those working in explosive ordnance detection and attack roles have likewise been critical in the urban environment. Dogs have been instrumental in saving IDF soldiers’ lives, finding hidden explosives, and uncovering Hamas fighters concealed within the dense urban fabric of Gaza. Their heightened senses and ability to navigate narrow or debris-filled spaces make them invaluable assets in areas where traditional methods fall short.
Just as observers have watched the war in Gaza closely for lessons about the modern battlefield, the US military can—and should—learn from the ways the IDF employs its dogs in urban combat. In Gaza, the IDF has pushed the boundaries of traditional canine operations with advancements that could redefine how US forces approach military working dog programs. Four lessons stand out.
1. Remote Operations and Technology Integration
During IDF operations in southern Lebanon in the 1990s, one of the primary threats was the widespread presence of improvised explosive devices planted along key routes by Hezbollah. In response, Oketz developed specialized training and equipment to address these challenges. Dogs were equipped with radio packs—essentially, small receivers and speakers that enabled handlers to transmit commands remotely via radio. This allowed the dogs to operate ahead of their handlers, covering long distances and clearing dangerous routes. This capability was essential in the era before the widespread use of cameras on dogs, and it became a hallmark of the IDF’s dog program.
During operations in Gaza over more than a year, small cameras mounted on dogs have provided real-time intelligence, allowing handlers to assess tunnel systems, detect booby traps, and identify combatants without exposing soldiers to direct risk. This technological leap offers the US military a template for expanding the remote capabilities of its working dogs.
2. Scaling the Force for High Demand
Gaza’s dense urban environment has highlighted the necessity of maintaining a large and flexible canine force. The Oketz unit integrates dog teams across operations, reflecting the value of both redundancy and specialization. After October 7, the IDF accelerated procurement, sending teams to Europe monthly to replenish its canine ranks. This reflects a key lesson: having a scalable program ensures readiness for prolonged or large-scale conflicts.
3. Mental Health Benefits of Group Deployment
The IDF deliberately pairs handlers and dogs within small, cohesive teams—each team with a commander, a deputy, and two handler-dog pairs. This structure is designed to address the psychological challenges of urban warfare, providing mutual support for both handlers and dogs. By prioritizing mental health, the IDF fosters operational resilience, a model the US military could replicate to combat stress among soldiers and dogs.
4. Attention to Operational Details
The IDF’s introduction of protective rubberized booties for dogs exemplifies the type of adaptation required by the unique challenges of urban environments. Dogs’ paws are tough—much better able to handle rough ground than the feet of humans, of course. So allowing dogs to work without any protective covering for their paws is often not a problem. But urban areas present unique dangers, with IDF dogs facing injuries from rubble, glass, and other hazards in Gaza’s war-torn streets. Equipping them with booties, along with ensuring teams carry essential training tools like bite sleeves, underscores the importance of anticipating and addressing operational challenges.
IDF teams and their handler-dog pairs also remain embedded with their assigned units throughout deployments, ensuring close bonds and continuity. This integration, coupled with daily after-action reviews, enables continuous learning and refinement of tactics.
The IDF’s Oketz unit showcases how military working dogs can be invaluable assets in urban warfare. By investing in remote capabilities, expanding the scale of canine units and scope of their operational capabilities, prioritizing mental health, and attending to operational details, the US military can evolve its preparations for urban conflict, ensuring both mission success and the welfare of soldiers and their canine partners.
The IDF’s reliance on military dogs comes at a significant cost. Since October 7, Oketz has lost three soldiers and forty-two military working dogs. These sacrifices highlight the intensity of the missions these teams undertake. But the missions’ intensity is matched by their critical nature. Bring truly prepared for urban warfare means being prepared to fulfill these missions, which in turn, as the IDF experience in Gaza highlights, means having trained and ready canine teams. To ensure that it has this unique capability, the US military should be learning from the IDF’s war in Gaza.
John Spencer is chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute, codirector of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast. He is also a founding member of the International Working Group on Subterranean Warfare. He served twenty-five years as an infantry soldier, which included two combat tours in Iraq. He is the coauthor of Understanding Urban Warfare.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.
*Special thanks to the members of the Oketz unit who provided multiple briefings and facilitated visits to the Oketz training base and teams deployed in Gaza.
Image credit: IDF Spokespersons Unit