Two days into the disaster that struck the State of Israel, it becomes clear how difficult it is on the ground of dead, wounded and abducted, but no less – the depth of the fracture in the most critical systems of the State of Israel, which were caught in their nakedness.
* Border Police undercover officers rescue civilians in an exchange of fire in which terrorists are eliminated// Police Spokesperson's Office
Yesterday, too, deep into the fighting, the IDF found it difficult to complete four essential operations: to build a single complete and clear picture of the situation on the basis of which it would be possible to conduct an orderly battle, to cleanse the area of enemy forces in order to stabilize defense and enable the offensive to be launched without fear of forces jumping from behind, to evacuate all civilians from the surrounding communities so that it would be possible to operate freely there, and to hermetically close the fence between Gaza and Israel.
All the spotters were captivated
As a result, improvisation operations must continue, some on a local basis. Major General Noam Tibon, who went out alone and joined Magellan's forces to rescue his family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, is just one example. A pair of Shin Bet security guards who went down to the south with weapons and found themselves in six different encounters during the night, sometimes alone with terrorists, are another example. And there were dozens, perhaps hundreds, of similar incidents and stories, and alongside the displays of heroism and resourcefulness, the lack of a guiding hand in managing the event also cries out to heaven, which contributed to its harsh consequences.
Just to illustrate: Kingfisher lost more fighters in the first day of the current campaign than in its entire history; Sayeret Matkal suffered many casualties, as did the SWAT team and Magellan and other elite units, all of which showed heroism and initiative but found themselves inferior and surprised even hours into battle, with no significance to their enormous advantage in manpower and means.
And that, perhaps, is the core of the matter. Even before touching on the erroneous conception and lack of intelligence, the massive, total breach of the line of defense is an eclipse of enormous proportions. Beyond the basic rule that the line of defense will always be breached, the IDF may have been surprised by the timing – but not by the way.
Hamas blew up the see-shooter system on the Gaza border, photo: uncredited
For years, Hamas has been practicing breaking into communities, massively killing and taking hostages into Gaza, and for years the IDF has been practicing exactly how to deal with this scenario. In real time, he was caught naked: the fence was easily crossed, in a variety of places, with Hamas quickly and efficiently neutralizing the entire surveillance system (and taking all the spotters prisoner), taking over the division headquarters and moving on – to implement its plan in outposts and settlements.
Hamas exploited the data on the ground to the fullest. Operate on a Saturday that is a holiday, early in the morning, when the forces are sleepy and most of the command is at home, and when the envelope is crowded with people, including many travelers, and as an unplanned bonus also the thousands of participants in the huge nature party that has become a mass death trap. He was also aware, of course, of the significant dilution of forces carried out in the envelope in favor of parallel reinforcement in Judea and Samaria, but that is the nature of the attacker: to look for the weak point and attack. The defender, who was supposed to be aware of all this, dozed off when the formidable line of defense he had built on him collapsed completely.
Days of anxiety and rage
As a result of the colossal failure in defense, the IDF was unable to launch an effective offensive. His attention was also focused last night on small, local battles that took place in the communities, and not on an orderly thought of charging forward. The responses that were carried out were mostly more of the same, as if it were another round at the end of which we would return to talking to Hamas with carrots and sticks.
The political-security leadership did not understand, or understood and did not succeed in translating into action, that the public in Israel (and in the region and around the world) is following what is happening with a combination of anxiety and anger and a clear demand for an unprecedented move. Unlike the Yom Kippur War, in which Israel was struck but immediately charged back, this time the Israeli boxer stayed on the floor instead of picking himself up and retaliating with double force.
The second day of the attack on the Gaza Strip: the extent of the horror in the street is exposed // Shmuel Buchris
But what happened starting at 06:30 a.m. on Saturday morning has two parents. One is the concept, and the other is intelligence. When the curtain rises over this war, and the investigations begin, it will become clear that there were endless indications of preparations and training and armament and provocation on the Palestinian side, but none of these translated into one clear flicker that would say "caution."
Instead, Israel continued to feed itself – and the media and the public – the constant blockbuster that Hamas was deterred, fearful, concerned about Gaza's economy and refrained from acting. As a result, intelligence forces and means were transferred to Judea and Samaria, which was marked as the urgent infection for treatment. Gaza, they clarified, is under control, and nothing is expected of it, so you can sleep soundly.
This bottom line was a direct continuation of the thought that nothing was urgent. That everything can be postponed until tomorrow. That the Palestinian problem has been solved, because here the UAE and Bahrain and Morocco signed normalization agreements with us, and soon Saudi Arabia and visa exemption to the United States. All this time, Israel has chosen to ignore the fact that the Palestinians are here, and are not going anywhere. That they will not invade Washington or London or Riyadh in the morning, but rather the village of Gaza and Nirim, and that whoever does not solve the problem will end up facing a much bigger problem.
Imminent disaster
This policy (or more precisely: lack thereof) has accompanied Israel vis-à-vis the Palestinian arena for 56 years, and vis-à-vis Gaza for the past two decades. Worse, Israel has knowingly chosen to weaken the Palestinian Authority and strengthen Hamas. She saw him as a partner, avoided his decision, made sure he got money and workers and status – everything, just so he wouldn't act. The result was the worst of all worlds: Hamas got what it wanted, and attacked; Israel gave him what he wanted, and absorbed.
The aircraft carrier Ford, photo: AFP
Into this vacuum in strategic decision-making has entered the political chaos of recent months in Israel. The chief of staff and generals had to spend many more hours convincing reservists to remain in service than in strengthening defense and attack planning. All this, against the backdrop of government ministers calling those who serve derogatory names, and when the government signs coalition agreements that it will exempt yeshiva members from service by law and even pay them equal wages to soldiers.
Everyone with eyes in their heads warned during this period that disaster was imminent. The defense minister did it and was fired (and then reinstated by street force), the chief of staff and the heads of the security organizations did it, but the prime minister did not listen. He was captured by extremist politicians. Needless to say, none of them showed up in uniform the other day to help Israel save itself from itself. In any case, most of them do not distinguish between division and division, between M16 and F16, between Nahal Oz and Kfar Gaza, but if Israel desires life, it would be good if they were now removed from the centers of management and decision-making.
Subsequently, Israel must come to its senses. Gal Hirsch was put in charge of the POW issue a day late (and actually a year, since the previous POW Coordinator left office), the PR is dysfunctional (and the television channels frequently attacked by the government are the only conduit for citizens to get information and extricate themselves), and even in the security establishment there are still more question marks than answers.
50 years later, Israel must rise again, and win. No politics, no ego, maximum strength and intellect and determination, knowing that there is no alternative. It is possible, but for it to happen requires determined and courageous civilian and military leadership. If there is one, please show up immediately.
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