What did you do when you carried out ‘straw widows’? We worked together with the armor corps every now and then. A sniper would sit in the back part of the tank and look out for guys throwing Molotov cocktails.
Were there cases where the sniper fired, where he detected one? Yes. I remember once, we were in one of the houses in Nablus or inside the city, watching the route, and someone detected a guy throwing a Molotov cocktail, so he simply fired at him.
And killed him? I think so, I’m not 100% sure.
Was he throwing the Molotov cocktail at you? He tried to throw it at the tank.
You were in the tank, but there were guys in the house as well. That’s right. Lookouts, trying to detect [throwers].
Did the tank do anything? No. Molotov cocktails get thrown at it and the guys try to reach all sorts of [firing] angles.
So the tank was meant to draw fire? Yes.
This was its objective? Yes. I think that’s the real purpose of ‘straw widow’ procedure. The essence of it.
Was there any risk of the Molotov cocktail hitting the tank, posing a threat? Maybe, but it’s a tank.
How far away does the sniper stand? He’s inside the tank. Down below, in back, there’s a place he stay in, with this kind of opening, and there are also other guys inside houses all around helping out with lookouts and fire.