Kathianne
10-07-2023, 07:56 PM
Discusses Iron Dome, Effective Low Tech attacks, lack of intel
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/after-attack-israel-wrestles-with-question-how-could-this-happen-aa6d539a?st=nqxk129sqwcrl77&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
After Attack, Israel Wrestles With Question: How Could This Happen?Coordinated Palestinian assault punctures the country’s aura of invincibility
Dozens of rockets were fired from the blockaded Gaza Strip toward Israel on Saturday, as sirens warning of incoming fire blared. MAHMUD HAMS/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
By Dion Nissenbaum and Anat Peled
Updated Oct. 7, 2023 8:14 pm ET
TEL AVIV—As explosions rang out and bullets flew over Tamir Erez’s home in Mefalsim near the Gaza Strip border, he said he kept asking himself, “Where is the Israeli military?” He fled town with his children holding their heads down so they couldn’t see the bodies of dead Israelis killed by Palestinian militants.
“It will take a long time for us to recover from this day,” Erez said.
...
“I’m confident we had no intel,” said retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, who said he was in Israel earlier this year, including touring defenses at one of the kibbutzim in southern Israel that was overrun by Hamas.
...
Iran has provided unprecedented coordination among the forces of several militant groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and stoked deadly conflict in the West Bank, putting Israel at risk on three fronts.
Using rockets, paragliders, motorcycles, pickup trucks, and boats, Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip launched a coordinated attack that showed an unexpected level of sophistication.
Israeli forces appeared to be caught completely by surprise as Hamas militants in Gaza used bulldozers to tear down the security fence with Israel and streamed into the country.
...
In many respects, Saturday’s surprise attack was a low-tech assault that relied more on the element of surprise than advanced weaponry. Palestinian militants armed with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and pistols were able to stream into Israeli towns and military bases with surprising ease.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Meir Elran, a researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. “Everybody was talking about Hamas being quiet and being stable. This whole structural concept is shattered just in front of our eyes in a very devastating ugly manner.”
...
Schanzer described Saturday’s attack as a remarkable military and intelligence failure by Israel.
“The Israelis have done a huge amount to deter tunnel building and other means of penetrating the barrier, then we see this,” he said. “It certainly appears that they have just gone through the front door.”
Schanzer said Saturday’s attack demonstrated surprising strategic and tactical success by Hamas that may have been aided by support from Iran.
...
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/after-attack-israel-wrestles-with-question-how-could-this-happen-aa6d539a?st=nqxk129sqwcrl77&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
After Attack, Israel Wrestles With Question: How Could This Happen?Coordinated Palestinian assault punctures the country’s aura of invincibility
Dozens of rockets were fired from the blockaded Gaza Strip toward Israel on Saturday, as sirens warning of incoming fire blared. MAHMUD HAMS/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
By Dion Nissenbaum and Anat Peled
Updated Oct. 7, 2023 8:14 pm ET
TEL AVIV—As explosions rang out and bullets flew over Tamir Erez’s home in Mefalsim near the Gaza Strip border, he said he kept asking himself, “Where is the Israeli military?” He fled town with his children holding their heads down so they couldn’t see the bodies of dead Israelis killed by Palestinian militants.
“It will take a long time for us to recover from this day,” Erez said.
...
“I’m confident we had no intel,” said retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, who said he was in Israel earlier this year, including touring defenses at one of the kibbutzim in southern Israel that was overrun by Hamas.
...
Iran has provided unprecedented coordination among the forces of several militant groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and stoked deadly conflict in the West Bank, putting Israel at risk on three fronts.
Using rockets, paragliders, motorcycles, pickup trucks, and boats, Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip launched a coordinated attack that showed an unexpected level of sophistication.
Israeli forces appeared to be caught completely by surprise as Hamas militants in Gaza used bulldozers to tear down the security fence with Israel and streamed into the country.
...
In many respects, Saturday’s surprise attack was a low-tech assault that relied more on the element of surprise than advanced weaponry. Palestinian militants armed with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and pistols were able to stream into Israeli towns and military bases with surprising ease.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Meir Elran, a researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. “Everybody was talking about Hamas being quiet and being stable. This whole structural concept is shattered just in front of our eyes in a very devastating ugly manner.”
...
Schanzer described Saturday’s attack as a remarkable military and intelligence failure by Israel.
“The Israelis have done a huge amount to deter tunnel building and other means of penetrating the barrier, then we see this,” he said. “It certainly appears that they have just gone through the front door.”
Schanzer said Saturday’s attack demonstrated surprising strategic and tactical success by Hamas that may have been aided by support from Iran.
...