How did Israel and the U.S. miss what Hamas was planning?
Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades hold a Palestinian flag as they destroy a tank of Israeli forces in Gaza City, Gaza on October 07, 2023.
Hani Alshaer | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The surprise attack by Hamas on Israel suggests a massive intelligence failure as the Israeli government appeared blindsided by the infiltration of Hamas fighters across the southern border and the launch of thousands of rockets.
The Hamas assault by air, land and sea also raised questions as to why U.S. intelligence agencies apparently did not see it coming, experts and former intelligence officials said.
U.S. officials said that if the Israelis knew an attack was imminent, they did not share it with Washington.
“We were not tracking this,” one senior U.S. military official told NBC News.
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— NBC News
Middle East confronts prospect of regional war after Hamas stealth hit on Israel
Israel’s counteroffensive against the Palestinian Hamas militant group will likely stretch for months — even years. That’s especially so if suspicions that Iran was involved in the militants’ ambush on Israel turn out to be true.
“Jews have not faced this kind of atrocity in the world since the Holocaust, so … everything is on the table if you are an Israeli Jew today,” Ian Bremmer, president and founder of political consultancy Eurasia Group told CNBC.
“To take out the leadership of Hamas, it is not going to be a matter of days or weeks. This is months or maybe years. This is going to go on for a long, long time,” he added.
A view of debris after Israeli airstrikes at al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza Strip on October 09, 2023.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The weekend assaults happened a day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, inviting comparisons with the deadliest Arab-Israeli war in 1973 that threatened to imperil the state of Israel.
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