Israel-Palestine conflict: Israel unprepared for audacious Hamas assault
Jerusalem, October 8: The recent multifront attack launched by Hamas militants in southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, involving air, land, and sea incursions, has exposed a significant failure in the country's intelligence agencies, according to media reports and experts.
Hamas, the ruling entity in the Gaza Strip, unleashed a barrage of over 3,000 rockets into Israel, with their fighters infiltrating southern Israel through various means, including paragliders. The well-coordinated attack took Israel by surprise and resulted in substantial casualties.
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Despite Israel's reputation for having robust intelligence agencies, including Shin Bet and Mossad, and state-of-the-art border security measures, the attackers managed to breach heavily fortified borders during Sukkot, a major Jewish holiday.
Experts speculate that Israel's focus on countering Iran and preventing its nuclear program may have led to the neglect of its own security situation.
Israeli ministers have demanded answers regarding the intelligence failure, with some questioning Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi's role in briefing them. They seek information on how such a failure was possible.
The situation has also shed light on how Hamas managed to execute such a complex operation without detection, despite Israeli intelligence's surveillance capabilities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Hamas attack serves as a stark reminder that despite Israel's military strength, it can still be vulnerable to intelligence lapses and operational security failures.
The attack also coincided with internal divides within Israel, primarily related to the government's judicial overhaul plan, which has triggered calls for boycotts and protests.
This significant breach has raised questions about Israel's readiness for both regional conflicts, such as those with Iran, and local threats like those posed by Hamas. The intelligence and counter-terrorism community is puzzled by how such an extensive operation went unnoticed, given Israel's access to Palestinian communications and its surveillance capabilities.
Israel's response to the attack includes evaluating the country's preparedness for various scenarios, whether related to Iran or Palestinian conflicts.
- With inputs from agencies
