Bombs in Lebanon: Israeli army uses improvised catapult

Bombs in Lebanon
The Israeli Army uses the Intermediate Catapult

June 13, 2024, 10:18 pm

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Israel has one of the best armed forces in the world. A video now shows Israeli soldiers operating a medieval siege engine. According to experts, the ancient weapon has many advantages.

According to media reports, Israel’s military is using an interim catapult along the Lebanese border. A video circulating on social media shows Israeli soldiers firing trebuchet firebombs at a high wall. It is unclear when and where the clip was taken.

According to public broadcaster Khan, the military said the weapon was a “local effort”. Accordingly, the munitions were intended to set fire to dense vegetation on the other side of the border in order to rob the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah of protection. The terror group has been engaged in repeated skirmishes with the Israeli army near the border since the Gaza war began eight months ago. The region is currently experiencing hot and dry weather, which means the fire could spread quickly.

American portal The War Zone suspects that Israeli soldiers are resorting to catapults because rockets or artillery shells are significantly more expensive than conventional weapons. There is also the risk that using sophisticated weapons to light fires in Lebanon will be perceived as too harsh by outsiders.

The trebuchet, also known as the trebuchet or blade, was the largest and most accurate throwing weapon of the Middle Ages and was primarily used in sieges. It was developed in China between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. Through the Mongols, the discovery reached the Arabian Peninsula and reached the Mediterranean region. The trebuchet appeared in Central Europe around 1200 AD. The weapon is based on the lever arm principle. A counterweight on the short arm side accelerates the weight on the long arm side, at the end of which a sling is attached to the projectile.