politicians and commanders who sit in leather chairs giving orders to everyone else while they pocket big salaries. We are all being taken for fools.

Unfinished war will bring more war and every time someone promise the troupes more defense in reality is only building more defense around his chair in the government. In Za'hal the word hagana should be change to kiyum. Next time let our enemies worry about their defense and don't give them a chance to dance in the streets chanting victory.

Very impressive - Good at bragging and 'fighting' defenceless sheep herders ;) ,...

the IDF needs urgently G-Ds protection.

Lebanon in 2006 which resulted in the largest single event of loss of lives in the entire conflict. When will the IDF learn to protect the soldiers who are irreplaceable whereas the materiel and equipment are? I could not believe the photos showing them lying around on the ground and sleeping near their vehicles. Lucky for the soldiers Hamas did not also notice it.

None of my wealthy trust fund cronies were hurt, I am tired of these little people whinging and moaning. If you don't shape up Jews, I will send you back into your shelters again, where you belong. Ehud Barak "serial deliberate war loser".

Marines use foxholes and trenches .Each soldier digs a foxhole with a shovel.. Or the engineers carve out trenches with bulldozers.. The IDF probably figured the soldiers were safe because they were not in the cities. Hotel Company , Second Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment The Rocket Belt south of Danang. Nong Son - September 1968

Next time we round up soldiers for the next operation (which knowing Hamas will be very soon) the rockets labelled for Tel Aviv will be aimed closer ... A truly weak performance for an operation that was cut short so early

I never heard of a war where they had bomb shelters everywhere for the soldiers. Did they bring bomb shelters when the allies invaded Normandy? Quit whining and do your reserve duty and defend the country. Now that the reservists had to come out of their bubble in the center of the country, they know how the residents of the south feel, especially those who don't have protected rooms, being bombed for the last several years!

...to dig fox holes and fill sand bags for protection, not set up wifi and make coffee. They were on the Gaza border for a week, plenty of time to dig fox holes, and leave them for the next war so they won't have to dig again. I thought the IDF was tough. What a bunch of pussies.

i guess the IDF command figured out that GOD was on your side and would make the rockets go astray. Very surprising that portable bldgs are not part of the equipment when rockets are flying

They were digging fox holes ... Military protocol 101 of course. Difference is those fox holes you dug was when you were firing at the enemy from the ground. These soldiers lives were put in harms way without them being able to fire a bullet

One Example - 3 Companies were inserted by helicopter at Nong Son in September 1968.. We were prepared for a hammer and anvil tactic . We had to dig foxholes to sleep and protect from constant NVA rockets and mortars. They also provided protection if the NVA decided to attack.. Our foxholes were protected during the night from flares and claymore mines that we hooked to trip wire,, Also we had forward listening posts dug in to detect any approaching soldiers on our flanks,,, The IDF whether firing back or not - made NO difference ..Those soldiers had to dig in if they were going to be there for awhile and they were there for days..Marines would have dug in immediately. Using our tactics Gilad Shalit would never have been taken that easily. He would have had at least 2 or 3 layers of protection. But Gilad thought Hamas could not get to him. You cannot put a Merkava 4 in the field with no protection. Never assume the enemy cannot get to you .

IDF troops are just political tools for Israeli politicians.

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THAT ALSO GOES FOR MY COUNTRY AND FOR (MANY) OTHER COUNTRIES.

This proves the IDF needs G-D's protection?? No it doesn't, it proves IDF needs to have bunkers and fortifications in place where troops may come under hostile fire. Welcome to the 21st century # 5!

to demoralize our army and our society. There is a limit. The soldiers were prepared for battle in an open field. What theybexpect to find? Prepared bunkers? As for Ted Caston. What is the use of digging holes a missil can land in the hole and people can also be killed . I THINK THE IDF MADE A WONDERFULL PERFORMANCE, CRITICS ARE WELLCOME BUT IN A CONSTRUCTIVE FORM

Unbelievable! Israel is completely surrounded by Muslim nations that are sworn to their destruction, and a matter such as this has not been addressed? Being a soldier...that would scare me to death! Here's a simple solution: when the reserves are called-up, let them be on the offensive, fighting those threats, instead hunkering-down and hoping they aren't hit by that threat. Gantz needs to be replaced! Everything should be accounted for, especially, when a country, like Israel, is in a constant-state of war....

Thank god ynet reports on the army negligence, it is a disgrace

Concerning the 21th century, where the technology has exceeded the humanity,nothing to be so proud of.

1. The soldiers were prepared for battle in an open field.?? = NO they were not.. 2. What is the use of digging holes a missil can land in the hole and people can also be killed = Missle in one hole kills one guy . In the open it can kill 20 guys..Marines have the option of putting sand bags over the top on boards for additional protection..IF YOU HAVE NEVER been in the infantry then you have no idea what you are talking about ..You never leave troops in the OPEN - NEVER. .

That comment on technology, we can both agree on. And it will just get worse mind you, soon technology will be far outstripping humanity's ability to control it. In the meantime, all we can do is hope we Jews keep our humanity no matter the future.....