What happened
Israel to Flood Gaza City with Explosive-Laden Robots, Report Says
Main Findings and Conclusions
The Israeli military is preparing to deploy an "unprecedented" number of explosive-laden, remote-controlled vehicles into Gaza City as part of its ground offensive. These vehicles, known as "booby-trapped robots" or "suicide APCs," are decommissioned armored personnel carriers (APCs) rigged with explosives and...
Army set to deploy 'unprecedented' number of the remote-controlled vehicles designed to cause widespread destruction and terror Israeli soldiers, tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) near the Gaza boundary, in Israel on 16 September 2025 (Reuters/Amir Cohen) Published date: 17 September 2025 13:57 BST | Last update: 4 sec ago The Israeli military is preparing to deploy an “unprecedented” number of explosive-laden, remote-controlled vehicles into Gaza City, according to Walla news outlet.
Known in Gaza as “booby-trapped robots”, the vehicles are decommissioned armoured personnel carriers (APCs), rigged with explosives and operated remotely by Israeli forces. They are driven deep into urban areas before being detonated, causing massive blasts and widespread destruction. The practice is referred to by the Israeli military as “suicide APCs.
” Israeli outlet Walla reported on Tuesday that the military has stationed a large number of these outdated APCs along the Gaza boundary, converting them into “mega-explosives” for use in its ground offensive, which it said began on Tuesday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Earlier this month, the Jerusalem Post said the use of old M113 APCs had tripled under the orders of Southern Command chief Yaniv Asor.
According to Israeli media, the explosions are so powerful that some have been heard as far away as central Israel. Palestinians say the blasts are “earth-shaking” and cause widespread terror and destruction in their wake. Genocide by remote control: Israel's explosive robots devastate Gaza Read More » “They’re extremely powerful.
They reduce entire buildings to crushed rubble,” Hamza Shabaan, a Gaza City resident who witnessed the robots’ explosions, previously told Middle East Eye. “They are far more devastating than air strikes.” At least 100 explosive robots were used in densely populated areas between 13 August and 3 September alone, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office.
The nonprofit Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reports that around 300 residential units are destroyed daily due to these explosions. The use of these robots is occurring at an “unprecedented pace”, suggesting a strategy “to wipe the city off the map”, Euro-Med Monitor said. “Meet Israel's most dystopian weapon used to terrorise Gazans into fleeing south: APC vehicles repurposed into robotic giant bombs,” Palestinian researcher Muhammad Shehada said on X.
“Israel's army has been swarming Gaza city with those APCs to indiscriminately barrel bomb overcrowded neighbourhoods & create chaos.” Demolition and destruction This method is not new. Explosive-laden APCs were reportedly used across Gaza during the early months of the genocide, despite initial denials from the Israeli military.
Testimonies from soldiers from as early as July 2024 confirmed their deployment. According to a recent Maariv report, the tactic was first developed after the 2014 Gaza war. Erasing survival: Israel destroys Gaza’s lifelines to force mass displacement Read More » It has since become “a method of operation that enables the clearing of roads, the demolition of buildings, and the destruction of enemy infrastructure without exposing forces to direct threats”.
But it’s not just “suicide APCs” massed along the Gaza border. The Israeli army has also positioned dozens of heavy engineering vehicles, according to Walla. These include both civilian and military-grade equipment - some armoured against missiles and explosives - intended to support ground forces and destroy “threatening infrastructure and structures”.
“In the past week, dozens of heavy vehicles have been moved to the Gaza border,” Walla reported. “A large number are already inside. More are expected to join in the coming days.” A military source told the outlet that the vehicles are “awaiting orders to enter both central and secondary missions”.
The army reportedly places “great importance” on these machines and is working to get them fully operational. The equipment, manufactured in the United States, recently arrived in Israel following delays by the Joe Biden administration. Their shipment was later approved under President Donald Trump.
Since the start of the war, these vehicles, often operated by settlers and far-right “hilltop youth” hired for the task, have been used to systematically demolish homes and civilian infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.
To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
Source coverage
Israel to Flood Gaza City with Explosive-Laden Robots, Report Says
Main Findings and Conclusions
Deeper analysis
Full source content
Army set to deploy 'unprecedented' number of the remote-controlled vehicles designed to cause widespread destruction and terror Israeli soldiers, tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) near the Gaza boundary, in Israel on 16 September 2025 (Reuters/Amir Cohen) Published date: 17 September 2025 13:57 BST | Last update: 4 sec ago The Israeli military is preparing to deploy an “unprecedented” number of explosive-laden, remote-controlled vehicles into Gaza City, according to Walla news outlet.
Known in Gaza as “booby-trapped robots”, the vehicles are decommissioned armoured personnel carriers (APCs), rigged with explosives and operated remotely by Israeli forces. They are driven deep into urban areas before being detonated, causing massive blasts and widespread destruction. The practice is referred to by the Israeli military as “suicide APCs.
” Israeli outlet Walla reported on Tuesday that the military has stationed a large number of these outdated APCs along the Gaza boundary, converting them into “mega-explosives” for use in its ground offensive, which it said began on Tuesday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Earlier this month, the Jerusalem Post said the use of old M113 APCs had tripled under the orders of Southern Command chief Yaniv Asor.
According to Israeli media, the explosions are so powerful that some have been heard as far away as central Israel. Palestinians say the blasts are “earth-shaking” and cause widespread terror and destruction in their wake. Genocide by remote control: Israel's explosive robots devastate Gaza Read More » “They’re extremely powerful.
They reduce entire buildings to crushed rubble,” Hamza Shabaan, a Gaza City resident who witnessed the robots’ explosions, previously told Middle East Eye. “They are far more devastating than air strikes.” At least 100 explosive robots were used in densely populated areas between 13 August and 3 September alone, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office.
The nonprofit Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reports that around 300 residential units are destroyed daily due to these explosions. The use of these robots is occurring at an “unprecedented pace”, suggesting a strategy “to wipe the city off the map”, Euro-Med Monitor said. “Meet Israel's most dystopian weapon used to terrorise Gazans into fleeing south: APC vehicles repurposed into robotic giant bombs,” Palestinian researcher Muhammad Shehada said on X.
“Israel's army has been swarming Gaza city with those APCs to indiscriminately barrel bomb overcrowded neighbourhoods & create chaos.” Demolition and destruction This method is not new. Explosive-laden APCs were reportedly used across Gaza during the early months of the genocide, despite initial denials from the Israeli military.
Testimonies from soldiers from as early as July 2024 confirmed their deployment. According to a recent Maariv report, the tactic was first developed after the 2014 Gaza war. Erasing survival: Israel destroys Gaza’s lifelines to force mass displacement Read More » It has since become “a method of operation that enables the clearing of roads, the demolition of buildings, and the destruction of enemy infrastructure without exposing forces to direct threats”.
But it’s not just “suicide APCs” massed along the Gaza border. The Israeli army has also positioned dozens of heavy engineering vehicles, according to Walla. These include both civilian and military-grade equipment - some armoured against missiles and explosives - intended to support ground forces and destroy “threatening infrastructure and structures”.
“In the past week, dozens of heavy vehicles have been moved to the Gaza border,” Walla reported. “A large number are already inside. More are expected to join in the coming days.” A military source told the outlet that the vehicles are “awaiting orders to enter both central and secondary missions”.
The army reportedly places “great importance” on these machines and is working to get them fully operational. The equipment, manufactured in the United States, recently arrived in Israel following delays by the Joe Biden administration. Their shipment was later approved under President Donald Trump.
Since the start of the war, these vehicles, often operated by settlers and far-right “hilltop youth” hired for the task, have been used to systematically demolish homes and civilian infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.
To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
How this page is built
Goose Pod turns cited reporting into a public episode summary first, then pairs that summary with audio playback so listeners can check the source material before they decide how deeply to engage.
The goal is to make this page useful as a news landing page first, while still giving listeners transcript access, related episodes, and direct links back to the original publishers.
