The IDF remains vigilant on the Gaza border six years following Operation Protective Edge. Reconnaissance operations take place at all hours of the day, including technologically advanced intelligence gathering and air force activity.
Arutz Sheva toured IDF positions along the Gaza border to see those preparations.Soldiers at the IDF observation tower can see Hamas positions only a few hundred meters away, just across the security fence.
Traveling along the border with Gaza reveals how advanced and significant the fence is. The barrier extends dozens of meters above and below ground to prevent the construction of cross-border attack tunnels. While the refugee in Gaza camps appear to be peaceful, Hamas and other terrorist organizations continue to arm and prepare for another round of fighting with Israel.
Different IDF units are sent to protect the Gaza border every few months. The border is dotted with many lookout towers and technologically advanced observation tools, but the most important resource remains the military's human capital.
All movement along the border, from passenger vehicles to donkey riders, is seen by the IDF.
The current commander of the forces on the Gaza border, Lieutenant Colonel Shemer Raviv, said that "the IDF has changed its modus operandi [since Operation Protective Edge] and its level of readiness is currently high."
Both Israel and Hamas have learned from the last major confrontation in 2014, and both sides aware that the next round of conflict could begin at any time.