With the greatest intelligence in the world, how Israel failed to prevent the Hamas attack

Despite all major sources of Israeli intelligence, the attack was not prevented.

Dozens of Palestinian armed men were able to cross the fortified border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, while thousands of missiles were thrown from Gaza to Israel.

The BBC describes it as a failure of Shin Bet, Israeli Interior Intelligence, Mossad, its foreign intelligence intelligence agency, as well as all Israeli Defence Forces assets.

Israel certainly has the best-financed intelligence services in the Middle East and one of the best in global rank.

Mossad has informants and agents within Palestinian militant groups, in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere.

In the past, Israel has carried out timely assassinations against militants, closely knowing all their movements.

Sometimes these are accomplished through intimidation attacks, as field agents have placed localisations in the means of opponents.

On the ground, along the fence between Gaza and Israel, there are cameras, sensors of movement on the ground and regular army patrols.

The thorn - wire fence was supposed to have been an impassable “barrier to prevent the very kind of infiltrate that occurred in this attack.

However, it is suspected that Hamas' militants dug holes in the wire or perhaps entered Israel by sea.

To prepare and carry out such a coordinated, complex attack involving the gathering and launching of thousands of missiles, just below the Israeli “ ”, must have been made at extraordinary levels of security by Hamas.

 

 

Not surprisingly, Israeli media have asked urgent questions to their country's military and political leaders. How this could have happened, on the 50th anniversary of another surprise attack known as Yom Kipur's war in October 1973.

Israeli officials say a major investigation has been launched, but questions appear to follow for years.

But now Israel has more urgent priorities. It should contain and suppress drilling at its southern borders, removing those Hamas militants who have taken control of several communities on the Israeli side of the border fence.

It will have to address the issue of its citizens who have been captured either through an armed rescue mission or through negotiations. /euronews