Chuck Freilich, Israel's former deputy national security adviser, laid the blame for the death and destruction caused by Saturday's unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas on the "disarray" within the Israeli armed forces and intelligence services, Politico reported.
"It's a failure in terms of intelligence, operationally," Freilich said. "It's clear we were caught totally unprepared by this. The divisional headquarters responsible for Gaza was occupied; they're in disarray, so the whole response has been delayed."
In a military offensive by Hamas fighters on Saturday, more than 2,200 rockets were fired into Israel; and Hamas militants infiltrated from land, sea, and air.
The conflict resulted in the death of dozens of Israelis and the injury or capture of hundreds more.
Freilich said the magnitude of the security failures will have significant implications for government officials.
"There's always a short-term rallying around the flag. But once the dust settles, we'll have major political ramifications. After the Yom Kippur War, it took three and a half years for [then-Israeli Prime Minister] Golda Meir's government to be toppled. I don't think it will take that long this time," he told Politico.
He also drew attention to the timing of the bloodshed, noting that it occurred precisely 50 years and one day after the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a historical parallel. "That was a catastrophic failure in regard to Egypt and Syria. This is a catastrophic failure in regard to Gaza."
Freilich, now a Tel Aviv University professor, expects swift Israel Defense Forces recapture of towns and villages, followed by substantial attacks on Hamas. The objective remains uncertain, he said: toppling Hamas or a severe strike.
The offensive, marked by Gaza fighters infiltrating Israel, has resulted in over 40 reported deaths. Experts warn that the actual casualty figures may be significantly higher, considering the hundreds injured and Hamas' claims of capturing civilians and military personnel.
Michael Horowitz, a security analyst and head of intelligence at risk management firm Le Beck International, said, "The situation is extremely confusing because multiple hostage-taking incidents are still ongoing, and several areas are still under Hamas control. This means we don't know the full extent of the attack, the number of dead, and the number of hostages.
"At the end of the day, this specific scenario — a complex attack with multiple hostage-taking incidents and an attempt to 'conquer' Israeli towns for a few hours or even days — is not something Israel did not have on its radar," Horowitz said, agreeing that the scale of destruction indicates "a major intelligence failure."
"We are at war, and we will win," declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a message to Israelis after the attack commenced. He emphasized that "the enemy will pay an unprecedented price."
Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, maintained that Hamas had "made a grave mistake."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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