Hamas’s Mock Town And Deception Tactics Fooled Israel, Source Says
A source close to Hamas has revealed how the Palestinian militant group prepared for its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, which caught the Israeli military off guard and resulted in hundreds of casualties.
According to the source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, Hamas built a fake Israeli town in Gaza and used it to train its fighters for a land, sea and air assault. The mock settlement was set up in plain sight, and Hamas even filmed its manoeuvres and posted them online.
“Israel surely saw [the videos], but they were convinced that Hamas wasn’t keen on getting into a confrontation,” the source said.
The source added that Hamas also used an “unprecedented intelligence tactic” to mislead Israel in the months leading up to the attack, by pretending that it was not interested in war and that it was more concerned about the economic situation in Gaza.
“Hamas was able to build a whole image that it was not ready for a military adventure against Israel while preparing for this massive operation,” the source said.
The attack, which Hamas called Operation al-Aqsa Storm, was the first direct conflict within Israel’s boundaries since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It involved thousands of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, as well as armed groups infiltrating nearby settlements and military bases. Some observers have referred to these events as the beginning of a third Palestinian intifada.
Israel admitted that it was duped by Hamas and that it failed to anticipate the scale and intensity of the attack. Major Nir Dinar, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said over the weekend: “This is our 9/11. They got us.”
“They surprised us and they came fast from many spots — both from the air and the ground and the sea,” he added.
More than 700 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas launched its attacks. Israel has responded by launching airstrikes on Gaza, targeting what it said were Hamas facilities and personnel. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday said he had ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip: “No electricity, no food, no fuel.”
The international community has expressed alarm over the escalating violence and called for an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the crisis but failed to agree on a joint statement. The United States said it was working with Egypt and other regional partners to de-escalate the situation and restore calm.
