Gaza is one of the most heavily monitored places on earth, constantly watched by satellites and drones and agents on the ground. And yet, Israeli defence and intelligence had no idea Hamas's carefully coordinated assault was coming, writes Adam Harvey.
After the Hamas fighters inside Israel have been caught or killed, after the inevitable Israeli ground assault into Gaza, and after the funerals of many Israelis and Palestinians who die in this conflict, there will be another wave of bloodletting.
Camera-phone footage shows armed Hamas fighters moving unimpeded inside Israeli military bases, on roads in southern Israel, around Israeli towns, entering homes and bringing hostages back into Gaza. In such a place, it's extraordinary that not a hint of the planning for this operation was picked up.Israel is responding to the biggest Hamas attack in years, but the seeds of the unrest were sown decades ago.This is a catastrophe for Israel: 300 of its citizens have been killed in the first 24 hours, with more than 1,500 injured. That's the deadliest day for Israel in at least 50 years, ranking with the worst moments of the 1967 Six Day War.
The regional consequences of the Hamas attack and the Israeli response are unknowable. As always in the Middle East, there's the potential for things to get much, much worse. Israel is responding in force to this attack on its people. But as the fighting continues, deaths of more Palestinian civilians in Gaza will harden attitudes in the region and has the potential to make the Palestinian Authority seem irrelevant, and strengthen the hand of the extremists who lead Hamas. That was surely their aim when they began planning for this day.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israel-Hamas War: Hamas’ control of Gaza must end nowIt’s easy to note the parallels between Hamas’ attack on Israel and the 1973 Yom Kippur war. This war, too, can lead to a similar outcome.
Read more »
Hamas’s stealth attack will be remembered as Israeli intelligence failure for the agesIsrael’s advanced surveillance of Palestinians makes scenes of Hamas gunmen moving through its streets all the more astounding
Read more »
Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel as Palestinian gunmen reported in southSenior Hamas commanders says 5,000 rockets launched from Gaza, while sirens sound across Israel
Read more »
Israel ‘at war’, says Netanyahu, as fighter jets target Gaza after surprise attack by Hamas – liveComments from Israel’s PM come after Palestinian militant group launches massive aerial and ground surprise attack from the Gaza Strip
Read more »
Israel vows 'mighty vengeance' after Hamas attacks from Gaza leave hundreds deadIsraeli media reports say at least 200 people have been killed in Israel following a wave of attacks by Hamas.
Read more »