An IDF Soldier’s Account from Gaza

In this clip from the IDF (4:21), Lieutenant Adam Landau of the 188th Armored Brigade describes his firsthand experiences during Operation Protective Edge. The operation began in the wake of the Hamas kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in June 2014. In response to Israel’s attempts to locate and arrest the terrorists, Hamas began firing hundreds of rockets from Gaza into Israel. The IDF launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 in attempts to stop the rocket fire and protect Israel. The mission was shortly thereafter expanded to include destroying Hamas’s underground tunnel system, built with intention to carry out deadly attacks. The operation lasted a total of seven weeks, during which time thousands of rockets were fired, 34 terror tunnels were destroyed, and many lives were lost on both sides. Hear Adam Landau’s reflections on that heart-rending summer and what made this particular operation so challenging.