Hamas’ surprise attack this weekend reportedly caught Israel’s intelligence services completely off guard, to the point that senior officials said last week that the Islamist militant group was neither interested in war nor preparing. for her.
Neither the Israel Defense Forces nor the Israel Security Agency, commonly known as Shin Bet, issued any warning that the terrorist organization, which operates from the Gaza Strip, was about to launch the Saturday attack that has since It has left hundreds dead and thousands injured. on both sides, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In fact, senior IDF and Defense Ministry officials said publicly last week that Hamas – which has since sent dozens of gunmen across the heavily armed border under a barrage of rockets – was not particularly interested in a conflict. open.
At the hearing, which followed recent clashes along the border, officials stated that the militant group would not start war, the outlet said.
The terrorist organization’s attack this weekend, which sparked two days of intense fighting, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded on both sides, has sparked an avalanche of criticism of Israel’s legendary intelligence service, which otherwise He had been very successful in his constant shadow war. against the enemies of the Jewish State.
Israel’s legendary intelligence services apparently overlooked warning signs of Hamas’ pending attack, which the organization launched early Saturday morning. AFP via Getty Images The country’s intelligence agencies had been largely successful in waging a long shadow war against the enemies of the Jewish state. AFP via Getty Images
Israel has the most extensive and best-funded intelligence network in the Middle East, according to the BBC. That includes informants and agents who have infiltrated Palestinian militant groups, as well as similar organizations throughout Lebanon and Syria.
But it was not enough.
“The whole system failed. It is not just a component,” Jonathan Conricus, former international spokesman for the IDF, told CNN.
“It is the entire defense architecture that evidently failed to provide the necessary defense for Israeli civilians,” Conricus continued. “This is a Pearl Harbor-type moment for Israel, where there was a reality until today, and then there will be a reality after today.”
The attack on Saturday morning has left hundreds dead and thousands injured on both sides. REUTERS One expert called the intelligence failure a “Pearl Harbor-type moment” for Israel. AFP via Getty Images
That failure has had consequences.
Israel has not seen this type of fighting (or penetration by its enemies into its military bases and cities) since its 1948 war of independence, according to CNN.
“With the combined efforts of the Shin Bet, Israeli internal intelligence, the Mossad, its external spy agency and all the assets of the Israel Defense Forces, it is frankly surprising that no one saw this coming,” the correspondent for BBC security, Frank Gardner.
“Or if they did, they didn’t act on it.”
Israel has spent billions on armoring its border to repel such attacks since it withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the network said.
The border between Israel and Gaza is heavily armored. But the gunmen attacked across the line. AFP via Getty Images
That included an anti-rocket defense system that the United States helped the nation develop to protect against airstrikes.
It has also reportedly built a smart border system with cameras, ground motion sensors and underground walls. And he complements them with regular army patrols.
The border fence between Gaza and Israel is topped with barbed wire, and is supposed to be the type of wall that stops such attacks, the BBC said.
But it didn’t make much difference, as Hamas reportedly forced its way through, cutting holes in the wire, or entered Israel using paragliders or by sea, the network said.
The IDF has not responded to whether it considers its failure to warn about Saturday’s attack to be an intelligence failure.
“We will talk about what happened next in terms of intelligence,” military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told CNN, adding that Israel is focused on the current fight.
A major investigation has already begun. But officials say the questions could last for years.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn