Hamas shocked Israel’s national security apparatus with a surprise attack on Saturday, catching them completely off guard. This is surprising considering Israel’s reputation for having one of the most advanced surveillance systems in the world. The Gaza Strip, where the attack took place, is heavily monitored with tapped phone lines, satellite surveillance, and informants keeping tabs on the population. However, Hamas managed to outmaneuver Israel’s surveillance by going dark and avoiding electronic communication. They used old-school tactics, such as face-to-face meetings and breaking up into small cells to keep their plans secret.
The attack involved 1,000 Hamas fighters crossing into Israeli territory through a technologically advanced fence. They carried out coordinated attacks by sea, air, and land, catching Israel off guard. It appears that Israel’s military intelligence lacked high-quality human sources within Hamas’ leadership, and Hamas may have also utilized encrypted technology for communication. Hamas was able to avoid interception by learning how Israel collects intelligence and developing tactics to avoid it.
Hamas also made use of underground tunnels to hide their weapons stockpiles, which Israel has been unsuccessful in targeting from the air. Instead of digging beneath the underground wall, they dug up to it and surprised Israel with a mass attack that overwhelmed their defense system.
Hamas has also improved its own intelligence capabilities, with its Military Intelligence Department closely observing the Israeli border and gathering information on Israeli weaponry and troop deployments. This knowledge allowed Hamas to plan and execute the assault.
Israel’s own shortcomings may have contributed to the success of the attack. The country’s national security establishment was distracted by domestic infighting, and there are allegations that Israeli officials focused on the West Bank instead of Gaza, despite warnings from Egyptian intelligence about Hamas’ plans. Israel may have also grown overconfident due to its technological superiority, which led to a false sense of security.
Overall, it will take years for Israel and the US to fully understand the failures that allowed Hamas to carry out the attack. However, it is clear that Hamas successfully went dark and used low-tech tactics to outmaneuver Israel’s surveillance prowess.