Armored D9 bulldozers were used during the Second Intifada (2000–2005), a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. They were used to open safe routes to IDF forces and detonate explosive charges planted by Palestinian militants. The bulldozers were used extensively to clear shrubbery and structures which were used as cover for Palestinian attacks. In addition they razed houses of families of suicide bombers.[citation needed]

Over 3,000 homes in Palestine were demolished by Israel during the conflict, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless.[9] The destruction of Palestinian homes promoted protests. In one such protest in Rafah in 2003 a group of eight people tried to stop a D9 bulldozer from demolishing a family home. The operator of the bulldozer drove over one of the protesters, Rachel Corrie. She died as a result of her injuries.[4]

Following several incidents where armed Palestinians barricaded themselves inside houses and killed soldiers attempting to breach the entries, the IDF developed "Nohal Sir Lachatz" (נוהל סיר לחץ "pressure cooker procedure") in which D9s and other engineering vehicles were used to bring them out by razing the houses; most of them surrendered because of fear of being buried alive.

During the 2002 Battle of Jenin armored D9 bulldozers cleared booby traps and improvised explosive devices, and eventually razed houses from which militants fired upon Israeli soldiers or contained possible IEDs and booby traps. A translated interview with one of the drivers was published by Gush Shalom.[10] After the deadly ambush in which 13 soldiers were killed, D9 bulldozers razed the center of the Jenin refugee camp and forced the remaining Palestinian fighters to surrender, thus finishing the battle with an Israeli victory.[11]

During the early 2000s, the new D9R entered IDF service, equipped with a new generation armor designed by the IDF's MASHA (Hebrew: מש"א, lit. Restoration and Maintenance Center), Israel Aerospace Industries and Zoko Shiloovim/ITE (Caterpillar Inc. importers in Israel). Due to the increasing threat of shaped charge anti-tank rockets and anti-tank missile, the IDF introduced in 2005 a slat armor, installed in large numbers on the IDF D9R dozers in 2006. The slat armor proved to be effective and life-saving; its developers and installers won the IDF's Ground Command award.

The IDF also operates armored remote-controlled D9N bulldozers, called "Raam HaShachar" (Hebrew: רעם השחר, lit. "thunder of dawn") often incorrectly referred as "black thunder". The remote-controlled bulldozer has been used to clear mines. They were used in the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and the Gaza War (2008–2009).[12]

Armored D9R bulldozers took part in the effort to extinguish 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire. The armored bulldozers opened routes to fire trucks and fire fighters into the heart of the fire. They also created fire breaks by clearing shrubbery and pushing up soil barriers in order to prevent the fire from spreading. They also helped extinguish fires by burying them in dirt and soil.[13]

In total, 100 D9s were deployed during the Gaza War (2008–2009), dubbed 'Operation Cast Lead' by Israel.[14] The war led to extensive destruction in Gaza, especially of Palestinian homes; Israeli bulldozers and anti-tank mines were commonly used. According to Amnesty International:

"For the vast majority of homes destroyed, more than 3,000, and damaged, some 20,000, during Operation “Cast Lead”, the Israeli army has provided no evidence to substantiate its allegations that the houses were used as combat positions, as military command centres or to manufacture or store weapons – or for any other purpose which, under certain circumstances, would have made it lawful to target them."[15]

In March 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF intended to increase its use of unmanned D9 bulldozers, doubling the number it had.[12] The following year Israel's Channel 2 reported that Caterpillar would delay the delivery of D9 bulldozers to the IDF while an investigation into the killing of Rachel Corrie took place.[16]

IDF D9 armored bulldozers took major role in the 2014 Gaza War, both in defensive missions and offensive maneuvers. The D9s assisted other heavy equipment such as excavators and drillers in exposing and destroying cross-border underground tunnels penetrating into Israel, more than 30 of these tunnels were destroyed during the operation. The reserve mechanical engineering equipment (צמ"ה) and bulldozers battalion of the Central Command received a citation of recommendation (צל"ש, tzalash) from the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

D9s participated in the ground offensive, opening routes to tanks and infantry forces, and demolishing structures that were used by Palestinian militants. On July 27, one D9 was hit by an anti-tank missile, killing its operator and wounding its commander. Another D9 demolished the building from which the missile was launched, killing 8 militants and capturing two more. The crew received a citation of recommendation (צל"ש, tzalash) for their action.

In 2018 the Israel Defense Forces Combat Engineering Corps started to deploy and operate the "Panda" – a remote-controlled version of an armored Caterpillar D9T bulldozer. In 2018, Israel Aerospace Industries announced that it had signed a contract to equip the IDF with more D9T Panda dozers.[17] In 2022-2023 the Panda entered regular service with the IDF.[18]

In 2019, Elbit Systems was awarded an IMOD contract to install the Iron Fist active protection system on the IDF's armored D9 bulldozers, to give them extra protection from anti-tank missiles.[19]

During the Israel–Hamas war D9 Bulldozers were deployed on the ground offensive into Gaza where it was used to clear routes for ground forces to manoeuvre[20] and expose shafts of Hamas combat tunnels.[21] According to The Independent around 100 D9 bulldozers were expected to be used in the opening stage of the war.[6] On 16 December the IDF captured the Kamal Adwan Hospital; in doing so IDF bulldozers crushed people who had been sheltering outside the hospital.[5]

An investigation by CNN published in January 2024 used satellite imagery to identify sixteen burial grounds in Gaza that had been desecrated by the IDF using bulldozers to level cemeteries and dig up bodies.[22] Later that month Ynet reported that the IDF would buy a further 100 bulldozers.[23] A shipment of 134 bulldozers had not arrived by November.[24] Bulldozers were also used in the deliberate destruction of Gaza's environment, with an estimated 38–48% of Gaza's farmland and tree cover destroyed by Israel's military.[25] Norwegian pension fund Kommunal Landspensjonskasse stopped investing in Caterpillar due to the use of its products by the IDF.[26]