"Twilight is when we're most vulnerable," Captain (res.) Z. shouts over the roaring engine of his Maverick ATV as we race across Gaza's sandy terrain.
The gravity of his words carries extra weight. Just two hours earlier, a Hamas fighter had emerged from a tunnel shaft barely 330 feet from our current position, firing an RPG that wounded eight IDF soldiers. Our expert drivers remain vigilantly alert.
Squinting against the sun while sand pelted our faces from the Maverick's high-speed run, we continued our operational drive deep within Gaza.
Earlier that day at the Erez Crossing, a bullet-riddled sign reading "Welcome to Netzah Yehuda Base" greets us beneath a shattered bulletproof window. One year after Oct. 7, the areas surrounding the base – which was temporarily captured by Hams terrorists – remain frozen in time. Bullets from that deadly Saturday still litter the ground, while bullet holes in the walls silently narrate how the Golani Brigade defended nearby communities against thousands of Hamas terrorists. "You should have seen it when we first arrived – the buildings were still burning," a bearded soldier with a large kippah and traditional sidelocks standing guard recalled.
A deafening noise suddenly erupted from the west as three civilian off-road vehicles raced toward us. Captain (res.) Z., commander and founder of the Tactical Mobile Unit (YTR), greets me through his protective mask: "I'm your ride."
During our brief wait, I questioned Z. about how the Maverick compares to Humvees. "Watch and you'll withdraw that comparison," he responded. We begin our journey, driving past the wall Hamas terrorists crossed using paragliders into Israel, and alongside a Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) defense system – installed on the border to intercept threats approaching from Gaza – that was destroyed on Oct. 7.
"Switch to 4x4," Z. commanded as we entered Gaza through passages that challenge even tanks. The ATV maintained highway speeds over terrain that would stop most vehicles, gliding over massive craters as if they were mere potholes. Minutes later, we reach a tunnel shaft in Beit Lahia. Spitting out sand, I conceded, "I stand corrected."
"Comparing our vehicles to Humvees is like comparing a Subaru to a Mercedes," Z. explained. "These machines are specifically designed for terrain that Humvees can't handle, especially at these speeds."
The Tactical Mobile Unit operates in near-complete secrecy, and even this first-ever public glimpse – six years after its formation – reveals only limited details. "We're an elite, 'boutique' unit with highly skilled personnel – exceptional soldiers and expert drivers. We maintain a low profile," Commander Z. explained. These reservists operate across all Israeli sectors and beyond – the Jordan Valley, northern Samaria, the border with Egypt, Gaza, and southern Lebanon.
"Ironically, I started as a tank driver," Z. chuckled. After enlisting in August 1997, he served both regular and reserve duties. Discharged in 2010 due to age, he sought new ways to serve. In 2018, amid intense debates about security in Israel's south and its eastern borders, Z. – an off-road enthusiast working professionally with Maverick ATVs — recognized an opportunity to fill a crucial operational gap.
"They released me from reserve duty, right when all the discussions about the lack of security in the south were happening. Together with several friends, including Colonel Yitzhak Ben-Bashat, who fell during intense combat in Shuja'iyya in December, we realized there was a desperate need for these off-road vehicles. That's essentially how we got here."
Z. began gathering soldiers and established the small, elite unit, composed entirely of combatants with off-road driving experience, and endless courage. "This isn't a unit for the faint-hearted," he laughed heartily. He's undoubtedly right, as racing at breakneck speeds through threatened areas where mostly heavily armored vehicles operate requires a special kind of daring. These soldiers operate almost alone, day after day, under fire.
"The Judea and Samaria Division took us under their wing for operations against infiltrators and illegal residents. That's one reason we maintain such a low profile: we're being watched because we're fighting at Israel's greatest vulnerability point, where all the terrorists and criminals try to enter, and we disrupt their operations."
The unit became operational and began focusing primarily on Israel's borders, intercepting infiltrators and weapons smugglers. The reservists raced in their small, tactical vehicles along the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, and later in geographically challenging areas in Judea and Samaria, dividing their efforts between two critical missions: operational activities and rapid rescue operations to evacuate casualties from the field.
In June 2023, the unit was called to such a mission on the Egyptian border. An Egyptian police officer had infiltrated Israeli territory and killed Staff Sergeant Uri Yitzhak Iluz and Sergeant Lia Ben-Nun, both were IDF soldiers on duty. Large forces arrived and began pursuing the attacker – who was located in the afternoon. During the exchange of fire, Staff Sergeant Ohad Dahan of blessed memory was killed.
"My soldiers were dispatched to evacuate the casualties. Regular vehicles couldn't traverse the terrain due to the ongoing firefight, but our vehicles managed to get through without issue and extract the casualties. Sadly, it was too late and they were pronounced dead, but this incident made everyone understand these vehicles' incredible capabilities. These are game-changing tools, saving lives every day."
Operating below the radar
The powerful ATV tears through the terrain, racing between shattered buildings and disturbing metal debris. A short drive at incredible speed, and we reach our destination: an exposed shaft excavated by a bulldozer, which was now busy demolishing a mosque minaret that threatened forces operating in the area. A large explosion sounded from the right, and thick black smoke rose beyond the hill.
"Watch out for the cable on your left," one of the soldiers shouted over the sound of his comrades firing nearby, pointing at the ground. "It's a tripwire left by Hamas to blow us up." Inside the tunnel, evidence indicated that fighters had been present just hours earlier.
Reaching a secure position, the soldier removed his protective goggles and face covering, smiling at us. Master Sergeant (res.) A. (44) is one of the newer operators in this small, classified unit, a team commander with extensive combat experience. Exactly a year ago on Oct. 7, he arrived at the Gaza border communities alone, without commanders or orders, to defend Israel.
"I arrived at the border area in the afternoon hours. I came alone, to fight. I had been released from reserve duty a few years earlier due to age, after long service in Eilat's LOTAR Unit [a special reserve counter-terror unit operating in the city of Eilat]. I had nowhere to go, wasn't part of any unit, but there was no way I was sitting this war out."
In the first weeks of the war, A., a father of three from the Jezreel Valley, used his counter-terrorism experience to enhance the capabilities of emergency response teams in communities near Gaza. Then he heard from an acquaintance about a classified ATV unit operating under the radar in the field.
This might be the secret to YTR's success. It's an all-reserve unit, where experienced off-road drivers join through word of mouth. That's how Staff Sergeant (res.) A. (21) joined the unit about four months ago, where most operators could be her father's age.
She lives in Jerusalem and served as a border crossing guard during her mandatory service. A year ago, she completed her service and joined Reserve Division 36, working in enemy detention. "After finishing there, I looked for something different, more meaningful, where I could make a real contribution," she said. "I found out about YTR through a mutual friend who mentioned that a special ATV unit needed drivers with off-road experience. It was perfect for me since I grew up on a farm where we often went on jeep tours."
Commander Z. explained that YTR's capability "doesn't exist anywhere else in the IDF" and lies in both the vehicles and their operators. "We only take the best drivers who are willing to push the limits." Indeed, in Gaza, when you're in an unarmored vehicle, aggressive driving is an asset. Unit drivers learn to navigate through "powder," – the fine sand created in massive quantities by tanks – and through dust clouds, in complete darkness, at high speeds, all while maintaining tight formation.
These capabilities proved to be a force multiplier in the days following Oct. 7. "Initially, when Hamas' Nukhba fighters were still hiding in various locations, we weren't authorized to use these vehicles due to the high threat level. After several days our vehicles began conducting very special and specific missions that I can't detail. The IDF realized this vehicle is an interception tool – it can deploy quickly, reach the target, complete the mission, and extract rapidly."
The IDF is cautious about revealing the vehicle's capabilities, but online research shows a super-ATV with phenomenal abilities, praised by industry experts. "195 horsepower, tremendous torque of 138 pound-feet, with a genuine racing chassis and suspension," The Israeli 4x4 Off-Road Site wrote following the Can-Am Maverick X3 launch. "We had the honor and pleasure of leading the launch of the Maverick's off-road models and can simply state: this is the best production off-road vehicle available."
From various automotive reviewers' assessments, it's clear how much this vehicle multiplies force compared to any other off-road vehicle. "It accelerates to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. In off-road terms, that figure stands alone – no elaboration needed," one Israeli automotive journalist enthused. "Such driving would tear any standard off-road vehicle apart in less than a quarter mile, but for the Maverick, traveling trails at 55 mph is trivial. Holes, bumps, rocks – all consumed as if nonexistent. Terms like 'insanity,' 'surreal,' and 'crazy' take on real meaning here. They've built a war machine that simply leaves you in shock."
When all this converges with Israel's real war machine, the result is a vehicle capable of what no other IDF vehicle can do – executing rapid, aggressive operations with results far exceeding what might be imagined.
Outpacing helicopters
The Tactical Mobile Unit operates in two capacities in Gaza. The first is operational activity. Commander Z. explained that one of YTR's special operations that can be disclosed involves leading larger units to neutralize threats. "We've managed to arrive unexpectedly at predetermined locations and eliminate threats before the arrival of larger forces. Our advantage, with fast vehicles and operational capabilities, provides the element of surprise and allows us to neutralize immediate threats to our forces."
The second role, frequently utilized, is casualty evacuation. "When the IDF went into Gaza, we unfortunately faced situations where it was difficult to quickly evacuate wounded and fallen soldiers." Until this war, Humvees were primarily used to transport casualties to helicopter landing zones, but these large, cumbersome vehicles became targets as well. The Mavericks proved to be the IDF's best possible solution. If Humvees are Gaza's ambulances, YTR serves as its intensive care response team.
"We operate using the 'scoop and run' method," Command Sergeant Major A., the team commander explained. "Our goal is to reach the scene as quickly as possible, get the casualty onto the vehicle, and 'fly' to the landing zone. We often arrive before the helicopter."
Just hours before our entry into Gaza, a severe engagement occurred. An RPG-armed Hamas terrorist emerged from a shaft and fired at troops operating in the sector. YTR soldiers, who were preparing to meet with us, dropped everything and raced to the scene. Eight soldiers were wounded, some seriously, but thankfully none were killed. In such scenarios, evacuation speed often makes the difference, and the Maverick ATVs are the ace in the deck in the fight to save soldiers' lives.
"You can't say much, but being in this unit is amazing," Sgt. 1st Class (res.) Y. said. A father of three, he's spent more time in Gaza this year than in his hometown. "On one hand, we're constantly getting questions from soldiers about joining. But on the other hand, you carry enormous responsibility. You need to know how to handle this vehicle and understand that any wrong move could end badly while realizing every second is critical. In every mission –whether delivering equipment and ammunition to forces in the field or evacuating casualties – human lives are at stake."
Sgt. 1st Class Y. agreed: "We're here because we save lives and help complete critical missions. The precious minutes we save for soldiers in the field save their lives, and that gives us strength to continue because it's not easy being away from our families for so many months."
Command Sergeant Major (res.) A.: "There's nothing like this in the IDF, and it's a shame there aren't more vehicles like these. Each one saves lives. That's why we left our families, left our jobs, completely disconnected from normal life, and for the past year, we've been purely focused on combat."
On rough roads
The sun begins to set in the west over Beit Lahia, and the teams start urging us to mount the vehicles. From one side of the secured perimeter where we're stationed, infantry soldiers prepare for night operations; on the other, tanks ready themselves to protect the threatened compound in the heart of the combat zone. The Tactical Mobile Unit soldiers face another long night of operations.
"This is where the missile hit our soldiers," Commander Z. warned as we set out, making the danger far more tangible. The enemy has been struck but not eliminated, and there's a real possibility that a fighter armed with an anti-tank missile is lurking behind the blinding sun. Heavy explosions echoed across the area, and the YTR soldiers were no longer smiling. They were deeply focused on their mission since any mistake meant risking lives, literally.
The Mavericks race at incredible speeds on horrifically damaged roads. One after another, maintaining minimal required distance, they scatter metal and concrete fragments around them, nothing standing in their way. An especially deep crater appears ahead, but Commander Z. doesn't flinch, driving at over 60 mph over a bump that would shatter any other vehicle, swerving around rocks and trees on the way back to Israeli territory.
"We have no margin for error," he shouted over the roaring engine and wind, "every drive goes through threatened and dangerous territory, and a fighter could be behind any corner." The intense ride ended on the other side of the "Hourglass" Egypt-Israel barrier, and Z. allowed himself to slow down slightly. "It's not about quantity, it's about quality," he explained the need for such intensive driving.
"Quality means the operational and professional capability of the soldiers who operate these amazing vehicles. When we arrive to complete a mission, we must do it at maximum speed. That's why drivers must be super-professional and super-operational. We carefully select each one through screening processes to ensure they're ready to execute missions optimally when it counts."
Q: Aren't you afraid? You're obviously at great risk.
"It's something we have to factor in. During our first entries into Gaza after Oct. 7, threats came from every corner, literally. Today the threat remains high, but we take it into account. This is our country, we love it, and we're committed to it."
I asked Sgt. 1st Class Y. what he wanted people to know about the unit. He paused for a moment, then answered: "I think it's important for people to know about the capabilities we bring to the field and about the people who simply refuse to leave. I'd like the Israeli people to know that there are soldiers here giving their absolute all, fighting for the ultimate goal – to protect our nation."
