I recall once, at the entrance to Tul Karm, a while after a serious terrorist attack on the casino in Rishon Lezion. . . the Israeli army was preparing to invade Gaza and lots of reserves were being called up. I was with a reserves paratrooper unit deployed in the Tul Karm area. We ran patrols there, called a "Heavy Block" in army jargon, with APCs and a tank through the streets of the town, mainly to attract fire, not too purposeful, to enforce curfew.

Attract fire?We often had such tasks. I mean, the point was to attract fire and take down armed militants. Actions that are often preferably carried out with tanks – namely, not to create unnecessary provocations. At times, however, there was even shooting at some concrete wall or the like. We were always aspiring to engage. So we rode there and, while passing by Tul Karm refugee camp, fire was opened in our direction. No one was hit and, consequently, we took a shot at every water tank along the way. The reservists began to snipe, I saw the water leaking later.

Reservists shot at water tanks.Yes, that's something I've heard being done at times.

Was it commonplace?That was the only time I witnessed it.