Caterpillar
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Head office: 5205 N. O'Connor Boulevard, Suite 100, Irving, Texas 75039, USA. Tel.: +1 (309) 675-2337
Caterpillar Inc., also known as CAT, is a U.S.-based multinational manufacturer and provider of civil and military engineering machinery. Caterpillar is the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.
The company operates in three primary segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation, and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.
The company sells its products under the brands Caterpillar, CAT, EMD, FG Wilson, MWM, Perkins, Progress Rail, SEM and Solar Turbines.
Caterpillar in Service of the Israeli Military
Caterpillar is a long-standing supplier of the Israeli military and provides it with a variety of heavy engineering machinery, including the D9 bulldozers models D9R, D9N, D9L and D9T, different wheel loaders, armored excavators, and mini loaders.
Caterpillar machinery is widely used by Israeli military forces against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. Caterpillar machinery is used in military operations, house demolitions, construction of military infrastructure and has been used as crowd control weapon against Palestinian demonstrators. Caterpillar equipment has been used in the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure as well as the construction of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank and the Israeli barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza Strip. Retrofitted Caterpillar D9 bulldozers are extensively used by the Israeli military in its military invasions and arrest actions in the occupied West Bank.
During the ongoing Genocide in Gaza, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were widely used by the Israeli military inside the occupied Gaza Strip, including in leading the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023, in the construction of military roads and infrastructure, in the mass destruction of Palestinian roads, buildings, property, and infrastructure, and in attacks on civilians inside.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were extensively used by the Israeli military in previous offensives on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2009, and 2008; in the Israeli military invasion of Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank in 2024 and in 2002 (the largest military operation carried out in the occupied West Bank since 1967); and in the Israeli invasions of Lebanon in 2006 and 2024. Caterpillar machinery has also been used by the Israeli military in the occupied Syrian Golan in 2024.
Deliveries
In July 2025, a shipment of dozens of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers was delivered to Israel from the United States. The bulldozers, destined for the Israeli military Ground Forces, were transferred to a military logistics center for the installation of armors. The bulldozers will be fitted for the military and some will be converted to autonomous use. The shipment was released by the U.S government after it was reported in November 2024 that Israel had purchased 134 D9 bulldozers that were awaiting an export permit from the U.S State Department.
In February 2025, the U.S Secretary of State approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Israel of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 295 million. The sale included D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers, spare and repair parts, technical and logistics support services, storage, and related logistics, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
In 2017, the Israeli military purchased dozens of Caterpillar heavy engineering vehicles in a huge deal valued at tens of millions of NIS between the military and Caterpillar, funded by US foreign aid.
The retrofit of Caterpillar vehicles used by the Israeli military includes the installation of autonomous systems, gunner positions and a bulletproof driver cabin to enable combat use. Adaptation works have been carried out by Caterpillar's Israeli importer, Zoko Enterprises, and Israeli state-owned weapon manufacturer, Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI).
In 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) selected Elbit Systems’ “Iron Fist” (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system to be installed on the military’s Caterpillar D9 bulldozers.
Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers
The most widely known heavy engineering machine used by the Israeli military is the Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer.
The D9 bulldozers have been in the Israeli military’s service since the 1960s and have been retrofitted since the 1980s. Since 2000, the D9s have been used regularly in almost every military activity. D9s have been extensively used in the Israeli military attacks on Gaza and in operational tasks such as large-scale demolitions, land-clearing missions and arrest operations across the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military Engineering Corps owns and operates hundreds of Caterpillar excavators and bulldozers, and a Caterpillar mechanical engineering equipment operation course is part of specialized training in the Israeli military. Three models of Caterpillar heavy D9 bulldozers are in use by the Israeli military: the D9L, D9N, and D9R.
Unmanned D9 Bulldozers
In May 2018, Israeli military unmanned D9 bulldozers were documented for the first time during the Great March of Return protests near the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza. The images showed a large number of unmanned bulldozers deployed against protesters.
In September 2024, the Israeli military reported it has employed unmanned D9 bulldozers in operational activity in Gaza.
The Israeli military has developed three unmanned remote-controlled versions of the Caterpillar D9 and D9T bulldozers. These are standard Caterpillar D9s that underwent conversion by Israeli state-owned aerospace and defense company, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI):
Panda RobDozer
The "RobDozer", formerly known as "Panda", is the newest generation of remotely controlled Caterpillar D9 Bulldozer. It is an unmanned armored robotic bulldozer based on the Caterpillar D9T and D9R models. The Caterpillar bulldozer is manufactured in the USA and is embedded with a technological system when it arrives in Israel. The robotic bulldozer is fitted for difficult terrain and military operations and can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle.
The Panda bulldozers entered the Israeli military regular engineering battalions in 2022. They were massively used for the first time by the Combat Engineering Corps leading the Ground Forces into the Gaza Strip on the very first day of the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 and have since been extensively used in Gaza throughout the Genocide. This was the first time that a military operated autonomous robotic ground tools of this type as part of an operational activity in ground maneuver on the battlefield.
The Panda was also used by the Israeli military during its invasion of Lebanon in 2024.
Each autonomous Panda weighs 50 tons and is remotely operated using a screen and joystick and equipped with many cameras. It is designed to support the Infantry and Ground Forces by carrying out ground exposures, demolishing buildings, opening paths in rough terrains, setting up dirt barriers, gathering intelligence and assisting in attacks using a remotely controlled weapon system. The Panda was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Israeli Ground Forces Technology Division, and the Defense Research & Development Directorate in the IMOD. The D9 bulldozers have been converted by IAI’s subsidiary, Elta Systems, which also developed the Autonomous Combat Engineering System installed on the bulldozers.
Thunder of Dawn
The "Thunder of Dawn" (Ra’am HaShachar in Hebrew) is a remote-controlled, unmanned Caterpillar D9N armored bulldozer. The bulldozer was developed by the state-owned weapon manufacturer IAI. The bulldozer was widely used during the Israeli military assault on Gaza in 2008-2009.
Winnie the Pooh
"Winnie the Pooh" (Poo HaDov in Hebrew) is an armored unmanned Caterpillar D9T bulldozer that can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle, equipped with more advanced control systems than the Thunder of Dawn. It was the previous remote-controlled version of the armored D9T, which was later replaced by the "Panda".
In addition to various D9 bulldozers, Caterpillar supplied the Israeli military with a variety of heavy engineering machinery that has been retrofitted and armored, including various wheel loaders; the Caterpillar 225, 245, and 330 excavators; and the Caterpillar MTL 257B (also known as MiniCat), which has been modified into a fully remote-controlled Combat Engineering tool by Zoko Enterprises and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Gaza Genocide
D9 bulldozers played a significant part in the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 being the first to invade the Gaza Strip leading the Israeli ground forces, causing mass destruction of roads and houses. Since October 2023, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have been documented in the streets of Gaza causing massive destruction to roads, buildings, private property, and infrastructure, including the destruction of the Gaza courthouse and the Palestine Square in Gaza City. The Caterpillar bulldozers are maintained by a military mobile repair squad that operates inside the Gaza Strip.
In March 2024, D9 bulldozers participated in the military raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while patients and medical staff were on the premises. The Israeli military caused great destruction to the hospital, burned buildings in the compound and put them completely out of use.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers took part in the massive destruction of Rafah city as part of the Israeli military offensive in Rafah and its area since May 2024.
Construction of military infrastructure
Caterpillar tools have been used for the construction of military infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip, including the construction of military roads and the construction of the Netzarim corridor. The so-called Netzarim Corridor, located south of Gaza City, cuts across Gaza in the middle, extending from the barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip to the Mediterranean Sea.
In February 2024, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used by the Israeli military's Combat Engineering Corps in the construction of a new road in northern Gaza. The road, nicknamed "Highway 749", runs across northern Gaza from east to west and cuts off Gaza City.
For more on the use of Caterpillar equipment in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report: The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
Gaza 2008-2023
Caterpillar machinery and D9 bulldozers have also been extensively used in previous Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2008, and 2009, for large-scale house demolitions, land-clearing missions, and the construction of the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza.
In January 2021, an Israeli military D9 bulldozer engaged in excavation near agricultural fields east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, distributed leaflets to the local Palestinian farmers warning them against continuing to cultivate the land close to the fence. In April 2021, Israeli military armored Caterpillar bulldozers invaded Palestinian lands, east of Gaza.
In February 2020, the Israeli military was documented using an armored Caterpillar bulldozer to drag and obtain the body of Mohammed Ali al-Naim, 27, who was killed by Israeli forces, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The bulldozer went into Gaza, accompanied by a military tank.
In March 2018, the Israeli military deployed armored Caterpillar D9s against protestors during the Great March of Return protests near the barrier surrounding Gaza.
In 2018, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used for the construction of the maritime barrier surrounding Gaza. The barrier is made of a new breakwater structure, with a high fence surrounding it, and an advanced detection system. The sea barrier is 200 meters long and 50 meters in width, and the surrounding fortified fence is six meters wide.
In 2017, Caterpillar excavators were documented in the construction of the Israeli barrier surrounding besieged Gaza.
In 2014, D9s were extensively used in the Israeli military attack on Gaza. D9s accompanied military tanks into Gaza and destroyed buildings, orchards, agricultural fields, greenhouses and water infrastructure. They were also used for military activities such as building rampart enclosures.
In 2013, D9s have been documented operating in the Gaza Strip.
In 2008-2009, the Caterpillar D9Rs were central to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Zoko Enterprises
Caterpillar’s Israeli representative Zoko Enterprises, is the exclusive supplier of Caterpillar heavy machinery for the Israeli military. Zoko retrofits some of Caterpillar's heavy machinery vehicles for the needs of the military, and company personnel provide the military with maintenance of the combat vehicles in use.
As part of its collaboration with the military, the company's employees are recruited when necessary as part of a special unit that the company established with the military many years ago. The company's employees are stationed as part of their reserve service and are mobilized as a maintenance force for the military General Staff. Since October 2023, during the Genocide in Gaza, the company's employees entered Gaza along with military units.
For more on Zoko Enterprises’ involvement, visit the company's profile.
West Bank
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers are used by the Israeli military to escort military forces during military incursions and arrests in populated Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank.
In September 2024, Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli military in invasion of the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank. Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps in Jenin and Tulkarm, causing massive destruction of roads, houses, buildings, and entire streets throughout the cities. About 70% of the roads in Jenin were destroyed by bulldozers, and 20 km of water, sewage, electricity, and communication infrastructure were destroyed, cutting the water supply in the Jenin refugee camp and in 80% of Jenin city. Damages were estimated at more than USD 135 million.
On January 24, 2024, a D9 bulldozer was documented during an Israeli military raid in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.
In November 2023, D9 bulldozer accompanied a military raid on the Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank. Four Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 15, were killed during the raid.
On July 24, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented in military invasion of the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem.
On July 3, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented causing severe damage during an Israeli military onslaught on the Jenin Refugee Camp. The D9 bulldozers were used to destroy roads, damaging all the electricity and water networks in the refugee camp.
Caterpillar armored excavators participated in extensive demolitions in the West Bank, including in the destruction of the Muqta'a in Ramallah in 2002, and in the Israeli army's raid on the Palestinian prison in Jericho in 2006.
Pressure Cooker
The Caterpillar D9 is also used in the Israeli military's so-called “Pressure Cooker” procedure, which is an Israeli military practice used to pressure a wanted person who fortifies in a house or other structure, to come out. In such cases, the D9 is used to demolish the structure with the person still inside, even in the case of that person being killed in the process. This procedure has been used against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. This procedure has been performed with Caterpillar excavators models Caterpillar D9 (L/N/R/T), Caterpillar 966 (E/F/G/H), Caterpillar 330, and Caterpillar 349.
In July 2016, Israeli forces used a Caterpillar excavator in the apparent extrajudicial execution of Muhammad al-Faqih, using Caterpillar equipment employed as a weapon in the town of Surif, near the city of Hebron. The house was demolished with al-Faqih still inside, using a Bagger E-349 Armored Caterpillar Excavator, a weaponized version of Caterpillar’s model 349E Hydraulic Excavator.
In August 2014, Israeli forces used a militarized Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in an attempt to arrest 24-year-old Zakaria al-Aqra at his home in the village of Qabalan near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Al-Aqra was killed, six of his relatives were wounded and the house was badly damaged during the operation.
Crowd Control
Caterpillar military wheel loaders are used by the Israeli military as a crowd control weapon. On February 21, 2020, a Caterpillar military bulldozer was used to attack Palestinian protesters in the village of Kufr Qaddum in the occupied West Bank. Two protesters were injured.
House Demolitions
Caterpillar track excavators and wheel loaders are used for extensive demolition of Palestinian houses and infrastructure by the Israeli military and authorities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
On May 5, 2025, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in home demolitions in Khirbet Khilet al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.
On August 14, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two trailers and four tents that were home to 17 people, 11 of them minors, at the community of Khirbet Um al-Kheir in the South Hebron Hills, leaving the family homeless.
On May 7, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used in demolition of the home of a family of seven, including five minors, in the village of a-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, occupied West Bank.
On February 20, 2024, Caterpillar excavator was used in a house demolition in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem.
On November 14, 2023, Israeli soldiers used a D9 bulldozer to destroy a monument for Yasser Arafat at the entrance to the Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
On July 26, 2023, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by the Israeli forces to destroy an irrigation system in the Palestinian village of al-Hijrah, south of Hebron. The forces poured concrete into four water wells and destroyed a roughly 20-meter-long pipe used to irrigate crops, causing damage to the crops.
On January 25, 2023, Caterpillar bulldozers were used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two agricultural structures, two solar panels and two trees belonging to a family of ten, in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Ma’in, southeast of the town of Yatta in Hebron District. The Israeli forces also dismantled and confiscated a tent the family had put up on its land for resting during the olive harvest.
On January 3, 2023, a Caterpillar crawler digger was used by the Israeli military to demolish the homes of four families and an outhouse in the village of She’b al-Battem in the South Hebron Hills, leaving 36 people, 12 of them minors, homeless. Four water tanks belonging to the four families, and six smaller water tanks belonging to two of them were also destroyed.
On August 24, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozer was used in demolitions in the Wadi al-Ahmar community in the southern Jordan Valley. Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) personnel equipped with a Caterpillar bulldozer destroyed two inhabited tents that housed two families numbering 10 people in total, including four minors, demolished a tent used as a kitchen, a livestock enclosure, and a solar panel belonging to one of the families. Six additional residential tents uninhabited at this time of the year, a livestock pen, and three tents used as livestock enclosures, which were not currently in use, were also destroyed.
On August 16, 2022, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by Israeli forces in demolitions in Khirbet ‘Allan in the al-Jiftlik area of the Jordan Valley. ICA personnel and military forces demolished two prefabs and a stone room that served as two residential units of a family of 11, including seven minor children, as well as an outdoor kitchen and portable toilets. The forces also destroyed another home that housed an adult son of the same family. In addition, the forces demolished three shacks used as livestock enclosures and two tin rooms used for making cheese, and damaged two water containers and livestock pen fences.
On January 2, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers and a D9 bulldozer were used to destroy hundreds of dunams of wheat and barley crops in Khirbet Ibziq in the Jordan Valley, occupied West Bank. The Israeli military also destroyed other fields that had been plowed in preparation for sowing. The bulldozers also created dirt mounds on farmlands, destroying agricultural access roads.
Throughout the years, Caterpillar equipment has been used by Israeli forces in numerous demolitions of Palestinian homes, tents, solar panels, animal shelters, water tanks and water pipes, roads, and agricultural infrastructure in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Caterpillar machinery was also used by the Israeli military to create checkpoints and destroy access roads leading to Palestinian villages and communities in the occupied West Bank.
Settlement Construction
Caterpillar engineering machinery has previously been used by civilian companies for the construction of a large number of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Revava, Maskiot, Oranit, Carmel, Elkana, Yakir and Beitar Illit in the West Bank and the Ramat Shlomo settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Caterpillar machinery was also used in the construction of various settlement infrastructure projects, such as road construction, the Ariel West and Barkan settlement Industrial Zones, the Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem A1 train railway, the Nabi Elias bypass road, and the Israel Police West Bank District headquarters in the E1 area near Ma’ale Adumim settlement. The models used for these tasks included the 330B, 330BL and 936.
Wall and Checkpoints
Caterpillar heavy machinery has been used in the construction of the Separation Wall and checkpoints in the West Bank. Caterpillar loaders and excavators were documented during works on the land of the Palestinian villages of Mas’ha, Al-Walaja, Qalandiya, Jayous, Ras al-Tira, Khirbet Jbara and Wadi a-Rasha and during the construction of the Anata and Qalandiya checkpoints. The models used for these tasks included the 330C, 330CL, 345B, 345D, 936 and D10N.
Naqab
In January 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers were used in an afforestation project of the Jewish National Fund on the lands of the village of Sa’we al-Atrash in the Naqab. The project is part of the ongoing dispossession of the Naqab’s Palestinian Bedouin inhabitants implemented jointly by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Israeli Land Authority.
For more on the dispossession and displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities in the area, see Who Profits' interactive map: Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab: Development and Military Projects.
Caterpillar machinery has also been used in repeated demolitions in the unrecognized village of Al-Araqib in the Naqab, which has been demolished by the Israeli authorities and rebuilt by its residents more than a hundred times in recent years. Caterpillar bulldozers with JNF (KKL) logo were documented in the village. In this case too, the village residents are facing displacement in the face of an afforestation project by the JNF.
Caterpillar Inc., also known as CAT, is a U.S.-based multinational manufacturer and provider of civil and military engineering machinery. Caterpillar is the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.
The company operates in three primary segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation, and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.
The company sells its products under the brands Caterpillar, CAT, EMD, FG Wilson, MWM, Perkins, Progress Rail, SEM and Solar Turbines.
Caterpillar in Service of the Israeli Military
Caterpillar is a long-standing supplier of the Israeli military and provides it with a variety of heavy engineering machinery, including the D9 bulldozers models D9R, D9N, D9L and D9T, different wheel loaders, armored excavators, and mini loaders.
Caterpillar machinery is widely used by Israeli military forces against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. Caterpillar machinery is used in military operations, house demolitions, construction of military infrastructure and has been used as crowd control weapon against Palestinian demonstrators. Caterpillar equipment has been used in the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure as well as the construction of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank and the Israeli barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza Strip. Retrofitted Caterpillar D9 bulldozers are extensively used by the Israeli military in its military invasions and arrest actions in the occupied West Bank.
During the ongoing Genocide in Gaza, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were widely used by the Israeli military inside the occupied Gaza Strip, including in leading the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023, in the construction of military roads and infrastructure, in the mass destruction of Palestinian roads, buildings, property, and infrastructure, and in attacks on civilians inside.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were extensively used by the Israeli military in previous offensives on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2009, and 2008; in the Israeli military invasion of Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank in 2024 and in 2002 (the largest military operation carried out in the occupied West Bank since 1967); and in the Israeli invasions of Lebanon in 2006 and 2024. Caterpillar machinery has also been used by the Israeli military in the occupied Syrian Golan in 2024.
Deliveries
In July 2025, a shipment of dozens of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers was delivered to Israel from the United States. The bulldozers, destined for the Israeli military Ground Forces, were transferred to a military logistics center for the installation of armors. The bulldozers will be fitted for the military and some will be converted to autonomous use. The shipment was released by the U.S government after it was reported in November 2024 that Israel had purchased 134 D9 bulldozers that were awaiting an export permit from the U.S State Department.
In February 2025, the U.S Secretary of State approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Israel of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 295 million. The sale included D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers, spare and repair parts, technical and logistics support services, storage, and related logistics, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
In 2017, the Israeli military purchased dozens of Caterpillar heavy engineering vehicles in a huge deal valued at tens of millions of NIS between the military and Caterpillar, funded by US foreign aid.
The retrofit of Caterpillar vehicles used by the Israeli military includes the installation of autonomous systems, gunner positions and a bulletproof driver cabin to enable combat use. Adaptation works have been carried out by Caterpillar's Israeli importer, Zoko Enterprises, and Israeli state-owned weapon manufacturer, Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI).
In 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) selected Elbit Systems’ “Iron Fist” (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system to be installed on the military’s Caterpillar D9 bulldozers.
Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers
The most widely known heavy engineering machine used by the Israeli military is the Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer.
The D9 bulldozers have been in the Israeli military’s service since the 1960s and have been retrofitted since the 1980s. Since 2000, the D9s have been used regularly in almost every military activity. D9s have been extensively used in the Israeli military attacks on Gaza and in operational tasks such as large-scale demolitions, land-clearing missions and arrest operations across the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military Engineering Corps owns and operates hundreds of Caterpillar excavators and bulldozers, and a Caterpillar mechanical engineering equipment operation course is part of specialized training in the Israeli military. Three models of Caterpillar heavy D9 bulldozers are in use by the Israeli military: the D9L, D9N, and D9R.
Unmanned D9 Bulldozers
In May 2018, Israeli military unmanned D9 bulldozers were documented for the first time during the Great March of Return protests near the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza. The images showed a large number of unmanned bulldozers deployed against protesters.
In September 2024, the Israeli military reported it has employed unmanned D9 bulldozers in operational activity in Gaza.
The Israeli military has developed three unmanned remote-controlled versions of the Caterpillar D9 and D9T bulldozers. These are standard Caterpillar D9s that underwent conversion by Israeli state-owned aerospace and defense company, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI):
Panda RobDozer
The "RobDozer", formerly known as "Panda", is the newest generation of remotely controlled Caterpillar D9 Bulldozer. It is an unmanned armored robotic bulldozer based on the Caterpillar D9T and D9R models. The Caterpillar bulldozer is manufactured in the USA and is embedded with a technological system when it arrives in Israel. The robotic bulldozer is fitted for difficult terrain and military operations and can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle.
The Panda bulldozers entered the Israeli military regular engineering battalions in 2022. They were massively used for the first time by the Combat Engineering Corps leading the Ground Forces into the Gaza Strip on the very first day of the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 and have since been extensively used in Gaza throughout the Genocide. This was the first time that a military operated autonomous robotic ground tools of this type as part of an operational activity in ground maneuver on the battlefield.
The Panda was also used by the Israeli military during its invasion of Lebanon in 2024.
Each autonomous Panda weighs 50 tons and is remotely operated using a screen and joystick and equipped with many cameras. It is designed to support the Infantry and Ground Forces by carrying out ground exposures, demolishing buildings, opening paths in rough terrains, setting up dirt barriers, gathering intelligence and assisting in attacks using a remotely controlled weapon system. The Panda was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Israeli Ground Forces Technology Division, and the Defense Research & Development Directorate in the IMOD. The D9 bulldozers have been converted by IAI’s subsidiary, Elta Systems, which also developed the Autonomous Combat Engineering System installed on the bulldozers.
Thunder of Dawn
The "Thunder of Dawn" (Ra’am HaShachar in Hebrew) is a remote-controlled, unmanned Caterpillar D9N armored bulldozer. The bulldozer was developed by the state-owned weapon manufacturer IAI. The bulldozer was widely used during the Israeli military assault on Gaza in 2008-2009.
Winnie the Pooh
"Winnie the Pooh" (Poo HaDov in Hebrew) is an armored unmanned Caterpillar D9T bulldozer that can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle, equipped with more advanced control systems than the Thunder of Dawn. It was the previous remote-controlled version of the armored D9T, which was later replaced by the "Panda".
In addition to various D9 bulldozers, Caterpillar supplied the Israeli military with a variety of heavy engineering machinery that has been retrofitted and armored, including various wheel loaders; the Caterpillar 225, 245, and 330 excavators; and the Caterpillar MTL 257B (also known as MiniCat), which has been modified into a fully remote-controlled Combat Engineering tool by Zoko Enterprises and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Gaza Genocide
D9 bulldozers played a significant part in the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 being the first to invade the Gaza Strip leading the Israeli ground forces, causing mass destruction of roads and houses. Since October 2023, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have been documented in the streets of Gaza causing massive destruction to roads, buildings, private property, and infrastructure, including the destruction of the Gaza courthouse and the Palestine Square in Gaza City. The Caterpillar bulldozers are maintained by a military mobile repair squad that operates inside the Gaza Strip.
In March 2024, D9 bulldozers participated in the military raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while patients and medical staff were on the premises. The Israeli military caused great destruction to the hospital, burned buildings in the compound and put them completely out of use.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers took part in the massive destruction of Rafah city as part of the Israeli military offensive in Rafah and its area since May 2024.
Construction of military infrastructure
Caterpillar tools have been used for the construction of military infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip, including the construction of military roads and the construction of the Netzarim corridor. The so-called Netzarim Corridor, located south of Gaza City, cuts across Gaza in the middle, extending from the barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip to the Mediterranean Sea.
In February 2024, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used by the Israeli military's Combat Engineering Corps in the construction of a new road in northern Gaza. The road, nicknamed "Highway 749", runs across northern Gaza from east to west and cuts off Gaza City.
For more on the use of Caterpillar equipment in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report: The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
Gaza 2008-2023
Caterpillar machinery and D9 bulldozers have also been extensively used in previous Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2008, and 2009, for large-scale house demolitions, land-clearing missions, and the construction of the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza.
In January 2021, an Israeli military D9 bulldozer engaged in excavation near agricultural fields east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, distributed leaflets to the local Palestinian farmers warning them against continuing to cultivate the land close to the fence. In April 2021, Israeli military armored Caterpillar bulldozers invaded Palestinian lands, east of Gaza.
In February 2020, the Israeli military was documented using an armored Caterpillar bulldozer to drag and obtain the body of Mohammed Ali al-Naim, 27, who was killed by Israeli forces, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The bulldozer went into Gaza, accompanied by a military tank.
In March 2018, the Israeli military deployed armored Caterpillar D9s against protestors during the Great March of Return protests near the barrier surrounding Gaza.
In 2018, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used for the construction of the maritime barrier surrounding Gaza. The barrier is made of a new breakwater structure, with a high fence surrounding it, and an advanced detection system. The sea barrier is 200 meters long and 50 meters in width, and the surrounding fortified fence is six meters wide.
In 2017, Caterpillar excavators were documented in the construction of the Israeli barrier surrounding besieged Gaza.
In 2014, D9s were extensively used in the Israeli military attack on Gaza. D9s accompanied military tanks into Gaza and destroyed buildings, orchards, agricultural fields, greenhouses and water infrastructure. They were also used for military activities such as building rampart enclosures.
In 2013, D9s have been documented operating in the Gaza Strip.
In 2008-2009, the Caterpillar D9Rs were central to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Zoko Enterprises
Caterpillar’s Israeli representative Zoko Enterprises, is the exclusive supplier of Caterpillar heavy machinery for the Israeli military. Zoko retrofits some of Caterpillar's heavy machinery vehicles for the needs of the military, and company personnel provide the military with maintenance of the combat vehicles in use.
As part of its collaboration with the military, the company's employees are recruited when necessary as part of a special unit that the company established with the military many years ago. The company's employees are stationed as part of their reserve service and are mobilized as a maintenance force for the military General Staff. Since October 2023, during the Genocide in Gaza, the company's employees entered Gaza along with military units.
For more on Zoko Enterprises’ involvement, visit the company's profile.
West Bank
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers are used by the Israeli military to escort military forces during military incursions and arrests in populated Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank.
In September 2024, Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli military in invasion of the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank. Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps in Jenin and Tulkarm, causing massive destruction of roads, houses, buildings, and entire streets throughout the cities. About 70% of the roads in Jenin were destroyed by bulldozers, and 20 km of water, sewage, electricity, and communication infrastructure were destroyed, cutting the water supply in the Jenin refugee camp and in 80% of Jenin city. Damages were estimated at more than USD 135 million.
On January 24, 2024, a D9 bulldozer was documented during an Israeli military raid in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.
In November 2023, D9 bulldozer accompanied a military raid on the Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank. Four Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 15, were killed during the raid.
On July 24, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented in military invasion of the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem.
On July 3, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented causing severe damage during an Israeli military onslaught on the Jenin Refugee Camp. The D9 bulldozers were used to destroy roads, damaging all the electricity and water networks in the refugee camp.
Caterpillar armored excavators participated in extensive demolitions in the West Bank, including in the destruction of the Muqta'a in Ramallah in 2002, and in the Israeli army's raid on the Palestinian prison in Jericho in 2006.
Pressure Cooker
The Caterpillar D9 is also used in the Israeli military's so-called “Pressure Cooker” procedure, which is an Israeli military practice used to pressure a wanted person who fortifies in a house or other structure, to come out. In such cases, the D9 is used to demolish the structure with the person still inside, even in the case of that person being killed in the process. This procedure has been used against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. This procedure has been performed with Caterpillar excavators models Caterpillar D9 (L/N/R/T), Caterpillar 966 (E/F/G/H), Caterpillar 330, and Caterpillar 349.
In July 2016, Israeli forces used a Caterpillar excavator in the apparent extrajudicial execution of Muhammad al-Faqih, using Caterpillar equipment employed as a weapon in the town of Surif, near the city of Hebron. The house was demolished with al-Faqih still inside, using a Bagger E-349 Armored Caterpillar Excavator, a weaponized version of Caterpillar’s model 349E Hydraulic Excavator.
In August 2014, Israeli forces used a militarized Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in an attempt to arrest 24-year-old Zakaria al-Aqra at his home in the village of Qabalan near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Al-Aqra was killed, six of his relatives were wounded and the house was badly damaged during the operation.
Crowd Control
Caterpillar military wheel loaders are used by the Israeli military as a crowd control weapon. On February 21, 2020, a Caterpillar military bulldozer was used to attack Palestinian protesters in the village of Kufr Qaddum in the occupied West Bank. Two protesters were injured.
House Demolitions
Caterpillar track excavators and wheel loaders are used for extensive demolition of Palestinian houses and infrastructure by the Israeli military and authorities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
On May 5, 2025, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in home demolitions in Khirbet Khilet al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.
On August 14, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two trailers and four tents that were home to 17 people, 11 of them minors, at the community of Khirbet Um al-Kheir in the South Hebron Hills, leaving the family homeless.
On May 7, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used in demolition of the home of a family of seven, including five minors, in the village of a-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, occupied West Bank.
On February 20, 2024, Caterpillar excavator was used in a house demolition in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem.
On November 14, 2023, Israeli soldiers used a D9 bulldozer to destroy a monument for Yasser Arafat at the entrance to the Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
On July 26, 2023, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by the Israeli forces to destroy an irrigation system in the Palestinian village of al-Hijrah, south of Hebron. The forces poured concrete into four water wells and destroyed a roughly 20-meter-long pipe used to irrigate crops, causing damage to the crops.
On January 25, 2023, Caterpillar bulldozers were used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two agricultural structures, two solar panels and two trees belonging to a family of ten, in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Ma’in, southeast of the town of Yatta in Hebron District. The Israeli forces also dismantled and confiscated a tent the family had put up on its land for resting during the olive harvest.
On January 3, 2023, a Caterpillar crawler digger was used by the Israeli military to demolish the homes of four families and an outhouse in the village of She’b al-Battem in the South Hebron Hills, leaving 36 people, 12 of them minors, homeless. Four water tanks belonging to the four families, and six smaller water tanks belonging to two of them were also destroyed.
On August 24, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozer was used in demolitions in the Wadi al-Ahmar community in the southern Jordan Valley. Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) personnel equipped with a Caterpillar bulldozer destroyed two inhabited tents that housed two families numbering 10 people in total, including four minors, demolished a tent used as a kitchen, a livestock enclosure, and a solar panel belonging to one of the families. Six additional residential tents uninhabited at this time of the year, a livestock pen, and three tents used as livestock enclosures, which were not currently in use, were also destroyed.
On August 16, 2022, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by Israeli forces in demolitions in Khirbet ‘Allan in the al-Jiftlik area of the Jordan Valley. ICA personnel and military forces demolished two prefabs and a stone room that served as two residential units of a family of 11, including seven minor children, as well as an outdoor kitchen and portable toilets. The forces also destroyed another home that housed an adult son of the same family. In addition, the forces demolished three shacks used as livestock enclosures and two tin rooms used for making cheese, and damaged two water containers and livestock pen fences.
On January 2, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers and a D9 bulldozer were used to destroy hundreds of dunams of wheat and barley crops in Khirbet Ibziq in the Jordan Valley, occupied West Bank. The Israeli military also destroyed other fields that had been plowed in preparation for sowing. The bulldozers also created dirt mounds on farmlands, destroying agricultural access roads.
Throughout the years, Caterpillar equipment has been used by Israeli forces in numerous demolitions of Palestinian homes, tents, solar panels, animal shelters, water tanks and water pipes, roads, and agricultural infrastructure in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Caterpillar machinery was also used by the Israeli military to create checkpoints and destroy access roads leading to Palestinian villages and communities in the occupied West Bank.
Settlement Construction
Caterpillar engineering machinery has previously been used by civilian companies for the construction of a large number of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Revava, Maskiot, Oranit, Carmel, Elkana, Yakir and Beitar Illit in the West Bank and the Ramat Shlomo settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Caterpillar machinery was also used in the construction of various settlement infrastructure projects, such as road construction, the Ariel West and Barkan settlement Industrial Zones, the Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem A1 train railway, the Nabi Elias bypass road, and the Israel Police West Bank District headquarters in the E1 area near Ma’ale Adumim settlement. The models used for these tasks included the 330B, 330BL and 936.
Wall and Checkpoints
Caterpillar heavy machinery has been used in the construction of the Separation Wall and checkpoints in the West Bank. Caterpillar loaders and excavators were documented during works on the land of the Palestinian villages of Mas’ha, Al-Walaja, Qalandiya, Jayous, Ras al-Tira, Khirbet Jbara and Wadi a-Rasha and during the construction of the Anata and Qalandiya checkpoints. The models used for these tasks included the 330C, 330CL, 345B, 345D, 936 and D10N.
Naqab
In January 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers were used in an afforestation project of the Jewish National Fund on the lands of the village of Sa’we al-Atrash in the Naqab. The project is part of the ongoing dispossession of the Naqab’s Palestinian Bedouin inhabitants implemented jointly by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Israeli Land Authority.
For more on the dispossession and displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities in the area, see Who Profits' interactive map: Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab: Development and Military Projects.
Caterpillar machinery has also been used in repeated demolitions in the unrecognized village of Al-Araqib in the Naqab, which has been demolished by the Israeli authorities and rebuilt by its residents more than a hundred times in recent years. Caterpillar bulldozers with JNF (KKL) logo were documented in the village. In this case too, the village residents are facing displacement in the face of an afforestation project by the JNF.
Caterpillar Inc., also known as CAT, is a U.S.-based multinational manufacturer and provider of civil and military engineering machinery. Caterpillar is the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.
The company operates in three primary segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation, and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.
The company sells its products under the brands Caterpillar, CAT, EMD, FG Wilson, MWM, Perkins, Progress Rail, SEM and Solar Turbines.
Caterpillar in Service of the Israeli Military
Caterpillar is a long-standing supplier of the Israeli military and provides it with a variety of heavy engineering machinery, including the D9 bulldozers models D9R, D9N, D9L and D9T, different wheel loaders, armored excavators, and mini loaders.
Caterpillar machinery is widely used by Israeli military forces against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. Caterpillar machinery is used in military operations, house demolitions, construction of military infrastructure and has been used as crowd control weapon against Palestinian demonstrators. Caterpillar equipment has been used in the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure as well as the construction of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank and the Israeli barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza Strip. Retrofitted Caterpillar D9 bulldozers are extensively used by the Israeli military in its military invasions and arrest actions in the occupied West Bank.
During the ongoing Genocide in Gaza, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were widely used by the Israeli military inside the occupied Gaza Strip, including in leading the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023, in the construction of military roads and infrastructure, in the mass destruction of Palestinian roads, buildings, property, and infrastructure, and in attacks on civilians inside.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were extensively used by the Israeli military in previous offensives on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2009, and 2008; in the Israeli military invasion of Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank in 2024 and in 2002 (the largest military operation carried out in the occupied West Bank since 1967); and in the Israeli invasions of Lebanon in 2006 and 2024. Caterpillar machinery has also been used by the Israeli military in the occupied Syrian Golan in 2024.
Deliveries
In July 2025, a shipment of dozens of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers was delivered to Israel from the United States. The bulldozers, destined for the Israeli military Ground Forces, were transferred to a military logistics center for the installation of armors. The bulldozers will be fitted for the military and some will be converted to autonomous use. The shipment was released by the U.S government after it was reported in November 2024 that Israel had purchased 134 D9 bulldozers that were awaiting an export permit from the U.S State Department.
In February 2025, the U.S Secretary of State approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Israel of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 295 million. The sale included D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers, spare and repair parts, technical and logistics support services, storage, and related logistics, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
In 2017, the Israeli military purchased dozens of Caterpillar heavy engineering vehicles in a huge deal valued at tens of millions of NIS between the military and Caterpillar, funded by US foreign aid.
The retrofit of Caterpillar vehicles used by the Israeli military includes the installation of autonomous systems, gunner positions and a bulletproof driver cabin to enable combat use. Adaptation works have been carried out by Caterpillar's Israeli importer, Zoko Enterprises, and Israeli state-owned weapon manufacturer, Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI).
In 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) selected Elbit Systems’ “Iron Fist” (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system to be installed on the military’s Caterpillar D9 bulldozers.
Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers
The most widely known heavy engineering machine used by the Israeli military is the Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer.
The D9 bulldozers have been in the Israeli military’s service since the 1960s and have been retrofitted since the 1980s. Since 2000, the D9s have been used regularly in almost every military activity. D9s have been extensively used in the Israeli military attacks on Gaza and in operational tasks such as large-scale demolitions, land-clearing missions and arrest operations across the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military Engineering Corps owns and operates hundreds of Caterpillar excavators and bulldozers, and a Caterpillar mechanical engineering equipment operation course is part of specialized training in the Israeli military. Three models of Caterpillar heavy D9 bulldozers are in use by the Israeli military: the D9L, D9N, and D9R.
Unmanned D9 Bulldozers
In May 2018, Israeli military unmanned D9 bulldozers were documented for the first time during the Great March of Return protests near the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza. The images showed a large number of unmanned bulldozers deployed against protesters.
In September 2024, the Israeli military reported it has employed unmanned D9 bulldozers in operational activity in Gaza.
The Israeli military has developed three unmanned remote-controlled versions of the Caterpillar D9 and D9T bulldozers. These are standard Caterpillar D9s that underwent conversion by Israeli state-owned aerospace and defense company, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI):
Panda RobDozer
The "RobDozer", formerly known as "Panda", is the newest generation of remotely controlled Caterpillar D9 Bulldozer. It is an unmanned armored robotic bulldozer based on the Caterpillar D9T and D9R models. The Caterpillar bulldozer is manufactured in the USA and is embedded with a technological system when it arrives in Israel. The robotic bulldozer is fitted for difficult terrain and military operations and can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle.
The Panda bulldozers entered the Israeli military regular engineering battalions in 2022. They were massively used for the first time by the Combat Engineering Corps leading the Ground Forces into the Gaza Strip on the very first day of the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 and have since been extensively used in Gaza throughout the Genocide. This was the first time that a military operated autonomous robotic ground tools of this type as part of an operational activity in ground maneuver on the battlefield.
The Panda was also used by the Israeli military during its invasion of Lebanon in 2024.
Each autonomous Panda weighs 50 tons and is remotely operated using a screen and joystick and equipped with many cameras. It is designed to support the Infantry and Ground Forces by carrying out ground exposures, demolishing buildings, opening paths in rough terrains, setting up dirt barriers, gathering intelligence and assisting in attacks using a remotely controlled weapon system. The Panda was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Israeli Ground Forces Technology Division, and the Defense Research & Development Directorate in the IMOD. The D9 bulldozers have been converted by IAI’s subsidiary, Elta Systems, which also developed the Autonomous Combat Engineering System installed on the bulldozers.
Thunder of Dawn
The "Thunder of Dawn" (Ra’am HaShachar in Hebrew) is a remote-controlled, unmanned Caterpillar D9N armored bulldozer. The bulldozer was developed by the state-owned weapon manufacturer IAI. The bulldozer was widely used during the Israeli military assault on Gaza in 2008-2009.
Winnie the Pooh
"Winnie the Pooh" (Poo HaDov in Hebrew) is an armored unmanned Caterpillar D9T bulldozer that can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle, equipped with more advanced control systems than the Thunder of Dawn. It was the previous remote-controlled version of the armored D9T, which was later replaced by the "Panda".
In addition to various D9 bulldozers, Caterpillar supplied the Israeli military with a variety of heavy engineering machinery that has been retrofitted and armored, including various wheel loaders; the Caterpillar 225, 245, and 330 excavators; and the Caterpillar MTL 257B (also known as MiniCat), which has been modified into a fully remote-controlled Combat Engineering tool by Zoko Enterprises and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Gaza Genocide
D9 bulldozers played a significant part in the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 being the first to invade the Gaza Strip leading the Israeli ground forces, causing mass destruction of roads and houses. Since October 2023, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have been documented in the streets of Gaza causing massive destruction to roads, buildings, private property, and infrastructure, including the destruction of the Gaza courthouse and the Palestine Square in Gaza City. The Caterpillar bulldozers are maintained by a military mobile repair squad that operates inside the Gaza Strip.
In March 2024, D9 bulldozers participated in the military raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while patients and medical staff were on the premises. The Israeli military caused great destruction to the hospital, burned buildings in the compound and put them completely out of use.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers took part in the massive destruction of Rafah city as part of the Israeli military offensive in Rafah and its area since May 2024.
Construction of military infrastructure
Caterpillar tools have been used for the construction of military infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip, including the construction of military roads and the construction of the Netzarim corridor. The so-called Netzarim Corridor, located south of Gaza City, cuts across Gaza in the middle, extending from the barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip to the Mediterranean Sea.
In February 2024, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used by the Israeli military's Combat Engineering Corps in the construction of a new road in northern Gaza. The road, nicknamed "Highway 749", runs across northern Gaza from east to west and cuts off Gaza City.
For more on the use of Caterpillar equipment in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report: The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
Gaza 2008-2023
Caterpillar machinery and D9 bulldozers have also been extensively used in previous Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2008, and 2009, for large-scale house demolitions, land-clearing missions, and the construction of the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza.
In January 2021, an Israeli military D9 bulldozer engaged in excavation near agricultural fields east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, distributed leaflets to the local Palestinian farmers warning them against continuing to cultivate the land close to the fence. In April 2021, Israeli military armored Caterpillar bulldozers invaded Palestinian lands, east of Gaza.
In February 2020, the Israeli military was documented using an armored Caterpillar bulldozer to drag and obtain the body of Mohammed Ali al-Naim, 27, who was killed by Israeli forces, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The bulldozer went into Gaza, accompanied by a military tank.
In March 2018, the Israeli military deployed armored Caterpillar D9s against protestors during the Great March of Return protests near the barrier surrounding Gaza.
In 2018, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used for the construction of the maritime barrier surrounding Gaza. The barrier is made of a new breakwater structure, with a high fence surrounding it, and an advanced detection system. The sea barrier is 200 meters long and 50 meters in width, and the surrounding fortified fence is six meters wide.
In 2017, Caterpillar excavators were documented in the construction of the Israeli barrier surrounding besieged Gaza.
In 2014, D9s were extensively used in the Israeli military attack on Gaza. D9s accompanied military tanks into Gaza and destroyed buildings, orchards, agricultural fields, greenhouses and water infrastructure. They were also used for military activities such as building rampart enclosures.
In 2013, D9s have been documented operating in the Gaza Strip.
In 2008-2009, the Caterpillar D9Rs were central to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Zoko Enterprises
Caterpillar’s Israeli representative Zoko Enterprises, is the exclusive supplier of Caterpillar heavy machinery for the Israeli military. Zoko retrofits some of Caterpillar's heavy machinery vehicles for the needs of the military, and company personnel provide the military with maintenance of the combat vehicles in use.
As part of its collaboration with the military, the company's employees are recruited when necessary as part of a special unit that the company established with the military many years ago. The company's employees are stationed as part of their reserve service and are mobilized as a maintenance force for the military General Staff. Since October 2023, during the Genocide in Gaza, the company's employees entered Gaza along with military units.
For more on Zoko Enterprises’ involvement, visit the company's profile.
West Bank
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers are used by the Israeli military to escort military forces during military incursions and arrests in populated Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank.
In September 2024, Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli military in invasion of the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank. Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps in Jenin and Tulkarm, causing massive destruction of roads, houses, buildings, and entire streets throughout the cities. About 70% of the roads in Jenin were destroyed by bulldozers, and 20 km of water, sewage, electricity, and communication infrastructure were destroyed, cutting the water supply in the Jenin refugee camp and in 80% of Jenin city. Damages were estimated at more than USD 135 million.
On January 24, 2024, a D9 bulldozer was documented during an Israeli military raid in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.
In November 2023, D9 bulldozer accompanied a military raid on the Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank. Four Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 15, were killed during the raid.
On July 24, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented in military invasion of the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem.
On July 3, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented causing severe damage during an Israeli military onslaught on the Jenin Refugee Camp. The D9 bulldozers were used to destroy roads, damaging all the electricity and water networks in the refugee camp.
Caterpillar armored excavators participated in extensive demolitions in the West Bank, including in the destruction of the Muqta'a in Ramallah in 2002, and in the Israeli army's raid on the Palestinian prison in Jericho in 2006.
Pressure Cooker
The Caterpillar D9 is also used in the Israeli military's so-called “Pressure Cooker” procedure, which is an Israeli military practice used to pressure a wanted person who fortifies in a house or other structure, to come out. In such cases, the D9 is used to demolish the structure with the person still inside, even in the case of that person being killed in the process. This procedure has been used against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. This procedure has been performed with Caterpillar excavators models Caterpillar D9 (L/N/R/T), Caterpillar 966 (E/F/G/H), Caterpillar 330, and Caterpillar 349.
In July 2016, Israeli forces used a Caterpillar excavator in the apparent extrajudicial execution of Muhammad al-Faqih, using Caterpillar equipment employed as a weapon in the town of Surif, near the city of Hebron. The house was demolished with al-Faqih still inside, using a Bagger E-349 Armored Caterpillar Excavator, a weaponized version of Caterpillar’s model 349E Hydraulic Excavator.
In August 2014, Israeli forces used a militarized Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in an attempt to arrest 24-year-old Zakaria al-Aqra at his home in the village of Qabalan near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Al-Aqra was killed, six of his relatives were wounded and the house was badly damaged during the operation.
Crowd Control
Caterpillar military wheel loaders are used by the Israeli military as a crowd control weapon. On February 21, 2020, a Caterpillar military bulldozer was used to attack Palestinian protesters in the village of Kufr Qaddum in the occupied West Bank. Two protesters were injured.
House Demolitions
Caterpillar track excavators and wheel loaders are used for extensive demolition of Palestinian houses and infrastructure by the Israeli military and authorities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
On May 5, 2025, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in home demolitions in Khirbet Khilet al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.
On August 14, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two trailers and four tents that were home to 17 people, 11 of them minors, at the community of Khirbet Um al-Kheir in the South Hebron Hills, leaving the family homeless.
On May 7, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used in demolition of the home of a family of seven, including five minors, in the village of a-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, occupied West Bank.
On February 20, 2024, Caterpillar excavator was used in a house demolition in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem.
On November 14, 2023, Israeli soldiers used a D9 bulldozer to destroy a monument for Yasser Arafat at the entrance to the Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
On July 26, 2023, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by the Israeli forces to destroy an irrigation system in the Palestinian village of al-Hijrah, south of Hebron. The forces poured concrete into four water wells and destroyed a roughly 20-meter-long pipe used to irrigate crops, causing damage to the crops.
On January 25, 2023, Caterpillar bulldozers were used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two agricultural structures, two solar panels and two trees belonging to a family of ten, in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Ma’in, southeast of the town of Yatta in Hebron District. The Israeli forces also dismantled and confiscated a tent the family had put up on its land for resting during the olive harvest.
On January 3, 2023, a Caterpillar crawler digger was used by the Israeli military to demolish the homes of four families and an outhouse in the village of She’b al-Battem in the South Hebron Hills, leaving 36 people, 12 of them minors, homeless. Four water tanks belonging to the four families, and six smaller water tanks belonging to two of them were also destroyed.
On August 24, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozer was used in demolitions in the Wadi al-Ahmar community in the southern Jordan Valley. Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) personnel equipped with a Caterpillar bulldozer destroyed two inhabited tents that housed two families numbering 10 people in total, including four minors, demolished a tent used as a kitchen, a livestock enclosure, and a solar panel belonging to one of the families. Six additional residential tents uninhabited at this time of the year, a livestock pen, and three tents used as livestock enclosures, which were not currently in use, were also destroyed.
On August 16, 2022, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by Israeli forces in demolitions in Khirbet ‘Allan in the al-Jiftlik area of the Jordan Valley. ICA personnel and military forces demolished two prefabs and a stone room that served as two residential units of a family of 11, including seven minor children, as well as an outdoor kitchen and portable toilets. The forces also destroyed another home that housed an adult son of the same family. In addition, the forces demolished three shacks used as livestock enclosures and two tin rooms used for making cheese, and damaged two water containers and livestock pen fences.
On January 2, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers and a D9 bulldozer were used to destroy hundreds of dunams of wheat and barley crops in Khirbet Ibziq in the Jordan Valley, occupied West Bank. The Israeli military also destroyed other fields that had been plowed in preparation for sowing. The bulldozers also created dirt mounds on farmlands, destroying agricultural access roads.
Throughout the years, Caterpillar equipment has been used by Israeli forces in numerous demolitions of Palestinian homes, tents, solar panels, animal shelters, water tanks and water pipes, roads, and agricultural infrastructure in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Caterpillar machinery was also used by the Israeli military to create checkpoints and destroy access roads leading to Palestinian villages and communities in the occupied West Bank.
Settlement Construction
Caterpillar engineering machinery has previously been used by civilian companies for the construction of a large number of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Revava, Maskiot, Oranit, Carmel, Elkana, Yakir and Beitar Illit in the West Bank and the Ramat Shlomo settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Caterpillar machinery was also used in the construction of various settlement infrastructure projects, such as road construction, the Ariel West and Barkan settlement Industrial Zones, the Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem A1 train railway, the Nabi Elias bypass road, and the Israel Police West Bank District headquarters in the E1 area near Ma’ale Adumim settlement. The models used for these tasks included the 330B, 330BL and 936.
Wall and Checkpoints
Caterpillar heavy machinery has been used in the construction of the Separation Wall and checkpoints in the West Bank. Caterpillar loaders and excavators were documented during works on the land of the Palestinian villages of Mas’ha, Al-Walaja, Qalandiya, Jayous, Ras al-Tira, Khirbet Jbara and Wadi a-Rasha and during the construction of the Anata and Qalandiya checkpoints. The models used for these tasks included the 330C, 330CL, 345B, 345D, 936 and D10N.
Naqab
In January 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers were used in an afforestation project of the Jewish National Fund on the lands of the village of Sa’we al-Atrash in the Naqab. The project is part of the ongoing dispossession of the Naqab’s Palestinian Bedouin inhabitants implemented jointly by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Israeli Land Authority.
For more on the dispossession and displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities in the area, see Who Profits' interactive map: Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab: Development and Military Projects.
Caterpillar machinery has also been used in repeated demolitions in the unrecognized village of Al-Araqib in the Naqab, which has been demolished by the Israeli authorities and rebuilt by its residents more than a hundred times in recent years. Caterpillar bulldozers with JNF (KKL) logo were documented in the village. In this case too, the village residents are facing displacement in the face of an afforestation project by the JNF.
Caterpillar
Head office: 5205 N. O'Connor Boulevard, Suite 100, Irving, Texas 75039, USA.
Tel.: +1 (309) 675-2337
Caterpillar Inc., also known as CAT, is a U.S.-based multinational manufacturer and provider of civil and military engineering machinery. Caterpillar is the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.
The company operates in three primary segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation, and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.
The company sells its products under the brands Caterpillar, CAT, EMD, FG Wilson, MWM, Perkins, Progress Rail, SEM and Solar Turbines.
Caterpillar in Service of the Israeli Military
Caterpillar is a long-standing supplier of the Israeli military and provides it with a variety of heavy engineering machinery, including the D9 bulldozers models D9R, D9N, D9L and D9T, different wheel loaders, armored excavators, and mini loaders.
Caterpillar machinery is widely used by Israeli military forces against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. Caterpillar machinery is used in military operations, house demolitions, construction of military infrastructure and has been used as crowd control weapon against Palestinian demonstrators. Caterpillar equipment has been used in the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure as well as the construction of the Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank and the Israeli barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza Strip. Retrofitted Caterpillar D9 bulldozers are extensively used by the Israeli military in its military invasions and arrest actions in the occupied West Bank.
During the ongoing Genocide in Gaza, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were widely used by the Israeli military inside the occupied Gaza Strip, including in leading the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023, in the construction of military roads and infrastructure, in the mass destruction of Palestinian roads, buildings, property, and infrastructure, and in attacks on civilians inside.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were extensively used by the Israeli military in previous offensives on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2009, and 2008; in the Israeli military invasion of Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank in 2024 and in 2002 (the largest military operation carried out in the occupied West Bank since 1967); and in the Israeli invasions of Lebanon in 2006 and 2024. Caterpillar machinery has also been used by the Israeli military in the occupied Syrian Golan in 2024.
Deliveries
In July 2025, a shipment of dozens of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers was delivered to Israel from the United States. The bulldozers, destined for the Israeli military Ground Forces, were transferred to a military logistics center for the installation of armors. The bulldozers will be fitted for the military and some will be converted to autonomous use. The shipment was released by the U.S government after it was reported in November 2024 that Israel had purchased 134 D9 bulldozers that were awaiting an export permit from the U.S State Department.
In February 2025, the U.S Secretary of State approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Israel of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 295 million. The sale included D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers, spare and repair parts, technical and logistics support services, storage, and related logistics, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
In 2017, the Israeli military purchased dozens of Caterpillar heavy engineering vehicles in a huge deal valued at tens of millions of NIS between the military and Caterpillar, funded by US foreign aid.
The retrofit of Caterpillar vehicles used by the Israeli military includes the installation of autonomous systems, gunner positions and a bulletproof driver cabin to enable combat use. Adaptation works have been carried out by Caterpillar's Israeli importer, Zoko Enterprises, and Israeli state-owned weapon manufacturer, Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI).
In 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) selected Elbit Systems’ “Iron Fist” (Porcupine Arrow) autonomous active defense system to be installed on the military’s Caterpillar D9 bulldozers.
Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers
The most widely known heavy engineering machine used by the Israeli military is the Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer.
The D9 bulldozers have been in the Israeli military’s service since the 1960s and have been retrofitted since the 1980s. Since 2000, the D9s have been used regularly in almost every military activity. D9s have been extensively used in the Israeli military attacks on Gaza and in operational tasks such as large-scale demolitions, land-clearing missions and arrest operations across the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military Engineering Corps owns and operates hundreds of Caterpillar excavators and bulldozers, and a Caterpillar mechanical engineering equipment operation course is part of specialized training in the Israeli military. Three models of Caterpillar heavy D9 bulldozers are in use by the Israeli military: the D9L, D9N, and D9R.
Unmanned D9 Bulldozers
In May 2018, Israeli military unmanned D9 bulldozers were documented for the first time during the Great March of Return protests near the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza. The images showed a large number of unmanned bulldozers deployed against protesters.
In September 2024, the Israeli military reported it has employed unmanned D9 bulldozers in operational activity in Gaza.
The Israeli military has developed three unmanned remote-controlled versions of the Caterpillar D9 and D9T bulldozers. These are standard Caterpillar D9s that underwent conversion by Israeli state-owned aerospace and defense company, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI):
Panda RobDozer
The "RobDozer", formerly known as "Panda", is the newest generation of remotely controlled Caterpillar D9 Bulldozer. It is an unmanned armored robotic bulldozer based on the Caterpillar D9T and D9R models. The Caterpillar bulldozer is manufactured in the USA and is embedded with a technological system when it arrives in Israel. The robotic bulldozer is fitted for difficult terrain and military operations and can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle.
The Panda bulldozers entered the Israeli military regular engineering battalions in 2022. They were massively used for the first time by the Combat Engineering Corps leading the Ground Forces into the Gaza Strip on the very first day of the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 and have since been extensively used in Gaza throughout the Genocide. This was the first time that a military operated autonomous robotic ground tools of this type as part of an operational activity in ground maneuver on the battlefield.
The Panda was also used by the Israeli military during its invasion of Lebanon in 2024.
Each autonomous Panda weighs 50 tons and is remotely operated using a screen and joystick and equipped with many cameras. It is designed to support the Infantry and Ground Forces by carrying out ground exposures, demolishing buildings, opening paths in rough terrains, setting up dirt barriers, gathering intelligence and assisting in attacks using a remotely controlled weapon system. The Panda was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Israeli Ground Forces Technology Division, and the Defense Research & Development Directorate in the IMOD. The D9 bulldozers have been converted by IAI’s subsidiary, Elta Systems, which also developed the Autonomous Combat Engineering System installed on the bulldozers.
Thunder of Dawn
The "Thunder of Dawn" (Ra’am HaShachar in Hebrew) is a remote-controlled, unmanned Caterpillar D9N armored bulldozer. The bulldozer was developed by the state-owned weapon manufacturer IAI. The bulldozer was widely used during the Israeli military assault on Gaza in 2008-2009.
Winnie the Pooh
"Winnie the Pooh" (Poo HaDov in Hebrew) is an armored unmanned Caterpillar D9T bulldozer that can be operated both remotely and by an operator inside the vehicle, equipped with more advanced control systems than the Thunder of Dawn. It was the previous remote-controlled version of the armored D9T, which was later replaced by the "Panda".
In addition to various D9 bulldozers, Caterpillar supplied the Israeli military with a variety of heavy engineering machinery that has been retrofitted and armored, including various wheel loaders; the Caterpillar 225, 245, and 330 excavators; and the Caterpillar MTL 257B (also known as MiniCat), which has been modified into a fully remote-controlled Combat Engineering tool by Zoko Enterprises and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Gaza Genocide
D9 bulldozers played a significant part in the military ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023 being the first to invade the Gaza Strip leading the Israeli ground forces, causing mass destruction of roads and houses. Since October 2023, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have been documented in the streets of Gaza causing massive destruction to roads, buildings, private property, and infrastructure, including the destruction of the Gaza courthouse and the Palestine Square in Gaza City. The Caterpillar bulldozers are maintained by a military mobile repair squad that operates inside the Gaza Strip.
In March 2024, D9 bulldozers participated in the military raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while patients and medical staff were on the premises. The Israeli military caused great destruction to the hospital, burned buildings in the compound and put them completely out of use.
Caterpillar D9 bulldozers took part in the massive destruction of Rafah city as part of the Israeli military offensive in Rafah and its area since May 2024.
Construction of military infrastructure
Caterpillar tools have been used for the construction of military infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip, including the construction of military roads and the construction of the Netzarim corridor. The so-called Netzarim Corridor, located south of Gaza City, cuts across Gaza in the middle, extending from the barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip to the Mediterranean Sea.
In February 2024, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used by the Israeli military's Combat Engineering Corps in the construction of a new road in northern Gaza. The road, nicknamed "Highway 749", runs across northern Gaza from east to west and cuts off Gaza City.
For more on the use of Caterpillar equipment in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, see Who Profits’ report: The Companies Supplying Weapons to Israel’s Attack on Gaza.
Gaza 2008-2023
Caterpillar machinery and D9 bulldozers have also been extensively used in previous Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2021, 2014, 2008, and 2009, for large-scale house demolitions, land-clearing missions, and the construction of the wall surrounding the besieged Gaza.
In January 2021, an Israeli military D9 bulldozer engaged in excavation near agricultural fields east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, distributed leaflets to the local Palestinian farmers warning them against continuing to cultivate the land close to the fence. In April 2021, Israeli military armored Caterpillar bulldozers invaded Palestinian lands, east of Gaza.
In February 2020, the Israeli military was documented using an armored Caterpillar bulldozer to drag and obtain the body of Mohammed Ali al-Naim, 27, who was killed by Israeli forces, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The bulldozer went into Gaza, accompanied by a military tank.
In March 2018, the Israeli military deployed armored Caterpillar D9s against protestors during the Great March of Return protests near the barrier surrounding Gaza.
In 2018, Caterpillar heavy machinery was used for the construction of the maritime barrier surrounding Gaza. The barrier is made of a new breakwater structure, with a high fence surrounding it, and an advanced detection system. The sea barrier is 200 meters long and 50 meters in width, and the surrounding fortified fence is six meters wide.
In 2017, Caterpillar excavators were documented in the construction of the Israeli barrier surrounding besieged Gaza.
In 2014, D9s were extensively used in the Israeli military attack on Gaza. D9s accompanied military tanks into Gaza and destroyed buildings, orchards, agricultural fields, greenhouses and water infrastructure. They were also used for military activities such as building rampart enclosures.
In 2013, D9s have been documented operating in the Gaza Strip.
In 2008-2009, the Caterpillar D9Rs were central to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Zoko Enterprises
Caterpillar’s Israeli representative Zoko Enterprises, is the exclusive supplier of Caterpillar heavy machinery for the Israeli military. Zoko retrofits some of Caterpillar's heavy machinery vehicles for the needs of the military, and company personnel provide the military with maintenance of the combat vehicles in use.
As part of its collaboration with the military, the company's employees are recruited when necessary as part of a special unit that the company established with the military many years ago. The company's employees are stationed as part of their reserve service and are mobilized as a maintenance force for the military General Staff. Since October 2023, during the Genocide in Gaza, the company's employees entered Gaza along with military units.
For more on Zoko Enterprises’ involvement, visit the company's profile.
West Bank
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers are used by the Israeli military to escort military forces during military incursions and arrests in populated Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank.
In September 2024, Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli military in invasion of the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank. Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators were used by the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps in Jenin and Tulkarm, causing massive destruction of roads, houses, buildings, and entire streets throughout the cities. About 70% of the roads in Jenin were destroyed by bulldozers, and 20 km of water, sewage, electricity, and communication infrastructure were destroyed, cutting the water supply in the Jenin refugee camp and in 80% of Jenin city. Damages were estimated at more than USD 135 million.
On January 24, 2024, a D9 bulldozer was documented during an Israeli military raid in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.
In November 2023, D9 bulldozer accompanied a military raid on the Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank. Four Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 15, were killed during the raid.
On July 24, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented in military invasion of the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem.
On July 3, 2023, D9 bulldozers were documented causing severe damage during an Israeli military onslaught on the Jenin Refugee Camp. The D9 bulldozers were used to destroy roads, damaging all the electricity and water networks in the refugee camp.
Caterpillar armored excavators participated in extensive demolitions in the West Bank, including in the destruction of the Muqta'a in Ramallah in 2002, and in the Israeli army's raid on the Palestinian prison in Jericho in 2006.
Pressure Cooker
The Caterpillar D9 is also used in the Israeli military's so-called “Pressure Cooker” procedure, which is an Israeli military practice used to pressure a wanted person who fortifies in a house or other structure, to come out. In such cases, the D9 is used to demolish the structure with the person still inside, even in the case of that person being killed in the process. This procedure has been used against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. This procedure has been performed with Caterpillar excavators models Caterpillar D9 (L/N/R/T), Caterpillar 966 (E/F/G/H), Caterpillar 330, and Caterpillar 349.
In July 2016, Israeli forces used a Caterpillar excavator in the apparent extrajudicial execution of Muhammad al-Faqih, using Caterpillar equipment employed as a weapon in the town of Surif, near the city of Hebron. The house was demolished with al-Faqih still inside, using a Bagger E-349 Armored Caterpillar Excavator, a weaponized version of Caterpillar’s model 349E Hydraulic Excavator.
In August 2014, Israeli forces used a militarized Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in an attempt to arrest 24-year-old Zakaria al-Aqra at his home in the village of Qabalan near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Al-Aqra was killed, six of his relatives were wounded and the house was badly damaged during the operation.
Crowd Control
Caterpillar military wheel loaders are used by the Israeli military as a crowd control weapon. On February 21, 2020, a Caterpillar military bulldozer was used to attack Palestinian protesters in the village of Kufr Qaddum in the occupied West Bank. Two protesters were injured.
House Demolitions
Caterpillar track excavators and wheel loaders are used for extensive demolition of Palestinian houses and infrastructure by the Israeli military and authorities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
On May 5, 2025, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in home demolitions in Khirbet Khilet al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.
On August 14, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two trailers and four tents that were home to 17 people, 11 of them minors, at the community of Khirbet Um al-Kheir in the South Hebron Hills, leaving the family homeless.
On May 7, 2024, Caterpillar wheel loader was used in demolition of the home of a family of seven, including five minors, in the village of a-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, occupied West Bank.
On February 20, 2024, Caterpillar excavator was used in a house demolition in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem.
On November 14, 2023, Israeli soldiers used a D9 bulldozer to destroy a monument for Yasser Arafat at the entrance to the Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
On July 26, 2023, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by the Israeli forces to destroy an irrigation system in the Palestinian village of al-Hijrah, south of Hebron. The forces poured concrete into four water wells and destroyed a roughly 20-meter-long pipe used to irrigate crops, causing damage to the crops.
On January 25, 2023, Caterpillar bulldozers were used by Israeli forces in the demolition of two agricultural structures, two solar panels and two trees belonging to a family of ten, in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Ma’in, southeast of the town of Yatta in Hebron District. The Israeli forces also dismantled and confiscated a tent the family had put up on its land for resting during the olive harvest.
On January 3, 2023, a Caterpillar crawler digger was used by the Israeli military to demolish the homes of four families and an outhouse in the village of She’b al-Battem in the South Hebron Hills, leaving 36 people, 12 of them minors, homeless. Four water tanks belonging to the four families, and six smaller water tanks belonging to two of them were also destroyed.
On August 24, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozer was used in demolitions in the Wadi al-Ahmar community in the southern Jordan Valley. Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) personnel equipped with a Caterpillar bulldozer destroyed two inhabited tents that housed two families numbering 10 people in total, including four minors, demolished a tent used as a kitchen, a livestock enclosure, and a solar panel belonging to one of the families. Six additional residential tents uninhabited at this time of the year, a livestock pen, and three tents used as livestock enclosures, which were not currently in use, were also destroyed.
On August 16, 2022, a Caterpillar bulldozer was used by Israeli forces in demolitions in Khirbet ‘Allan in the al-Jiftlik area of the Jordan Valley. ICA personnel and military forces demolished two prefabs and a stone room that served as two residential units of a family of 11, including seven minor children, as well as an outdoor kitchen and portable toilets. The forces also destroyed another home that housed an adult son of the same family. In addition, the forces demolished three shacks used as livestock enclosures and two tin rooms used for making cheese, and damaged two water containers and livestock pen fences.
On January 2, 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers and a D9 bulldozer were used to destroy hundreds of dunams of wheat and barley crops in Khirbet Ibziq in the Jordan Valley, occupied West Bank. The Israeli military also destroyed other fields that had been plowed in preparation for sowing. The bulldozers also created dirt mounds on farmlands, destroying agricultural access roads.
Throughout the years, Caterpillar equipment has been used by Israeli forces in numerous demolitions of Palestinian homes, tents, solar panels, animal shelters, water tanks and water pipes, roads, and agricultural infrastructure in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Caterpillar machinery was also used by the Israeli military to create checkpoints and destroy access roads leading to Palestinian villages and communities in the occupied West Bank.
Settlement Construction
Caterpillar engineering machinery has previously been used by civilian companies for the construction of a large number of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Revava, Maskiot, Oranit, Carmel, Elkana, Yakir and Beitar Illit in the West Bank and the Ramat Shlomo settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Caterpillar machinery was also used in the construction of various settlement infrastructure projects, such as road construction, the Ariel West and Barkan settlement Industrial Zones, the Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem A1 train railway, the Nabi Elias bypass road, and the Israel Police West Bank District headquarters in the E1 area near Ma’ale Adumim settlement. The models used for these tasks included the 330B, 330BL and 936.
Wall and Checkpoints
Caterpillar heavy machinery has been used in the construction of the Separation Wall and checkpoints in the West Bank. Caterpillar loaders and excavators were documented during works on the land of the Palestinian villages of Mas’ha, Al-Walaja, Qalandiya, Jayous, Ras al-Tira, Khirbet Jbara and Wadi a-Rasha and during the construction of the Anata and Qalandiya checkpoints. The models used for these tasks included the 330C, 330CL, 345B, 345D, 936 and D10N.
Naqab
In January 2022, Caterpillar bulldozers were used in an afforestation project of the Jewish National Fund on the lands of the village of Sa’we al-Atrash in the Naqab. The project is part of the ongoing dispossession of the Naqab’s Palestinian Bedouin inhabitants implemented jointly by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Israeli Land Authority.
For more on the dispossession and displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities in the area, see Who Profits' interactive map: Tools of Dispossession in the Naqab: Development and Military Projects.
Caterpillar machinery has also been used in repeated demolitions in the unrecognized village of Al-Araqib in the Naqab, which has been demolished by the Israeli authorities and rebuilt by its residents more than a hundred times in recent years. Caterpillar bulldozers with JNF (KKL) logo were documented in the village. In this case too, the village residents are facing displacement in the face of an afforestation project by the JNF.
Ownership
The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol: CAT
Major shareholders include: Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Co. (9.33%), STATE STREET CORPORATION (7.47%), BlackRock Advisors LLC (5.81%), State Farm Investment Management Corp. (3.73%), Geode Capital Management LLC (2.24%), Fisher Asset Management LLC (2.01%), Eaton Vance Management (1.54%), T. Rowe Price International Ltd. (1.45%), Gates Foundation Trust (1.35%), BlackRock Life Ltd. (1.34%)
CEO: Joseph E. Creed
Subsidiaries
The company has over 400 subsidiaries worldwide.
Partners
Zoko Enterprises Ltd. is the exclusive importer and distributor of Caterpillar in Israel.
* This section refers to the company's general business partners
Company Response
Settlements
Beitar Illit | Carmel | Elkana | Maskiot | Oranit | Ramat Shlomo | Revava | Yakir
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