263: Chapter 263 Steel Coffin Cluster

Central Route: The 401st Armored Brigade encountered stubborn resistance and frequent harassment on the main road, losing 8 tanks and 12 armored vehicles, with approximately 250 casualties.

The rate of advance was only one-third of what was planned.

Southern Route: The 35th Paratrooper Brigade encountered strange retreats and sporadic ambushes; although there were no major losses, the advance was slow, and they continuously reported small groups of enemies attacking logistics convoys in the rear.

Artillery Units: Three self-propelled artillery battalions suffered devastating blows from a drone Swarm, losing over 40% of their equipment and 30% of their personnel, severely degrading their fire support capabilities.

Air Force: Although they held air superiority, the threat from enemy anti-aircraft fire (man-portable missiles and suspected new anti-aircraft systems) increased, and two apache attack helicopters were damaged and forced to retreat.

Total estimated losses: 20+ tanks, 30+ armored vehicles, and 800+ casualties.

As for the results... aside from occupying some streets that were already in ruins, they had captured almost no important resistance fighters, let alone found any trace of Sinwar's command post.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!" Minister Lavitz finally exploded, smashing the ceramic coffee cup in his hand onto the floor, sending shards flying. "Five brigades! Fifteen thousand men! Two hundred tanks! Fighting a bunch of rats hiding in tunnels, and you end up with this?!"

The high-ranking officers at the conference table lowered their heads; no one dared to speak.

"Abraham!" Minister Lavitz glared at the Chief of General Staff. "Where is your 'steady and solid' approach? Where is your 'gradual advance'? Why did the 53rd Battalion rashly advance into that godforsaken place and get surrounded?!"

Lieutenant General Abraham spoke with difficulty: "Minister, according to front-line reports, the 53rd Battalion received intelligence stating that enemy forces in the 'Three-Way Junction' area were retreating. They wanted to pass through quickly to establish a forward base... This might have been a lure by the enemy..."

"A lure? Then what about our intelligence? What about our reconnaissance? What are our drones doing?!" Minister Lavitz roared. "And that drone Swarm! Where did they get so many suicide drones?! And how can they precisely strike our artillery positions?! Where are our electronic warfare units? Where are our air defense systems?!"

Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Erez said in a low voice: "Minister, the enemy's drones seem to have adopted new anti-jamming technology and low-observability designs. Our 'Iron Dome' and 'David's Sling' systems have low interception efficiency against such low-altitude, slow-moving small targets, especially when combined with saturation attacks..."

"I don't want to hear excuses!" Minister Lavitz interrupted him. "I want solutions! Now! Immediately!"

The conference room fell into a dead silence.

Just then, Minister Lavitz's adjutant pushed the door open, his face pale, holding a tablet computer in his hand.

"Minister... you... you had better look at this..."

"What?" Minister Lavitz took the tablet impatiently.

On the screen, a video was playing.

Under a high-altitude aerial view, a massive crater and the scattered, burning tank wreckage around it looked like some kind of postmodern art installation, cruel and shocking.

The camera slowly zoomed in, providing close-ups of the unit insignias and identification numbers on the merkava turrets, as well as the charred 'Star of David'.

Then, the scene switched to the interior of a semi-ruined building.

A person with a face covered in blood and tears, wearing a Squid Nation officer's uniform, was weeping into the camera: "...I regret why I didn't die in the tank! I regret why I am still alive, watching my soldiers turn into charred remains! I regret... why I put on this military uniform to come to this godforsaken land!..."

"Lial... I'm sorry... children... Daddy can't go back..."

Minister Lavitz's pupils contracted sharply. He recognized the man—Moses Cohen, commander of the 53rd Battalion, an outstanding officer whom he had personally decorated.

At the end of the video was a line of cold subtitles: "The Steel Coffin Group: The 72-Hour Funeral of Squid Nation's 'Final Offensive'."

"We don't need sympathy; we need weapons and dignity."

— "Eyes of Gaza"

The video was 8 minutes and 47 seconds long. It was well-produced, visually shocking, and had an extremely strong emotional impact.

Minister Lavitz's hand began to tremble. It wasn't fear, but extreme anger and... a trace of a chill he himself was unwilling to admit.

"Where... where did this come from?!" he asked hoarsely.

"Fifteen minutes ago, it suddenly appeared in the backends of major global video sites, social media, and news outlets. Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya have interrupted their regular programming to start broadcasting it. CNN and BBC have also received anonymous emails and are urgently evaluating whether to air it... On Twitter, the topic #TheSteelCoffinGroup has surged to number one in global trends..." the adjutant's voice grew quieter and quieter.

Minister Lavitz slammed the tablet onto the floor! The screen shattered, but the video seemed to still be playing before his eyes, and Cohen's weeping still echoed in his ears.

"Block it! Block it across the entire network for me! Forbid any media from broadcasting it! Delete all related links! Notify all major platforms that this is terrorist propaganda and must be taken down immediately!" Minister Lavitz roared hysterically.

"Minister... it's... it's already too late..." the adjutant said despairingly. "The speed of dissemination is too fast; the number of downloads and shares has already exceeded ten million... And many shares are coming from... from abroad, and even from within our own country..."

As if to confirm his words, a faint clamor came from outside the conference room—it was the reporters and citizens gathered outside the Ministry of Defense building. Sharp-eyed reporters had already seen the video on their phones, and the news was spreading at a viral speed.

Minister Lavitz slumped back into his chair, covering his face with his hands.

He knew it was over.

This "Final Offensive" he had sworn by, in less than two days since it began, had not only suffered a crushing military defeat but had also been dealt a devastating blow in terms of public opinion and psychology.

The wreckage of twelve merkava tanks, the image of a battalion commander weeping on his knees, paired with the title "The Steel Coffin Group"... this was more terrifying than losing a brigade. It shook the myth of the Squid Nation military's invincibility, shook the public's support for the war, and shook the confidence of their allies.

And all of this had been clearly recorded and spread to the entire world.

His political life, I fear, would also be buried in the ruins of Gaza along with those tanks.

The conference room door was pushed open violently, and the Prime Minister's chief secretary hurried in, looking equally grim: "Minister Lavitz, the Prime Minister summons you urgently. Now."

Minister Lavitz stood up mechanically and straightened his military uniform, only to find he had buttoned it wrong. He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his last shred of dignity, but his slightly trembling fingers exposed the collapse of his inner world.

He walked toward the door, his steps unsteady. As he passed the shattered tablet, he glanced at the black screen, as if he saw Cohen's weeping face again and heard that cursed, questioning voice: "Why did I put on this military uniform?"

Why?

Minister Lavitz did not know the answer. He only knew that this "Final Offensive" he had launched with his own hands had already tolled the knell for himself, and for many others.