- For the people familiar with the international repercussions on the back of geopolitical and geostrategic churnings unfolding perpetually, the unprecedented and unexpected attack perpetrated by Hamas on the Israeli establishment’s almost air-tight security apparatus in the disputed Gaza strip must be worrying. That the famed Israeli intelligence machinery failed to fully anticipate the impending attack must also cause not only embarrassment to the ruling dispensation but also pose uncomfortable questions on the way security apparatus could not prevent the attack from sea, air, and land. That the heavy loss of lives and property was always going to be the collateral courtesy of such attacks is not lost on the people familiar with the same.
PC: forward
- The peace prevailing leading up to the latest attack was anything but facile between the two protagonists indicating something had to give in sooner than later. Note that the gradual thawing of Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors had raised hopes of building a new Middle East, where economic cooperation leads to shared prosperity. Alas, with its surprise attack on Israel over the weekend, the terror group Hamas looks to have pulled the rug from under this ambitious peace-and-business endeavor. Make no mistake, this devastating attack on Israel will not be without painful consequences for many other countries in the bargain. The scale of the attack has shocked Israelis deeply and in this sense its description as Israel’s 9/11 moment is logical.
- Unlike the 9/11 moment in the US, the Hamas attack came by both air and land and hit many cities simultaneously. PM Netanyahu’s grim declaration that we are at war was a natural follow-up and expectedly Israel will go all guns blazing at the terror group. Where this war will eventually lead to is difficult to predict. What is certain is that given how steadfast a security partner Israel has been for India, today India stands steadfast by it. As PM Modi mentioned, we stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour. As mentioned above, Netanyahu’s government has a lot of questions to answer about how such a multi-pronged attack went under its intelligence radar, not to mention how the country’s physical defense systems were so easily brought down at so many points.
PC: NDTV
- Perhaps a nation coming together to hit back at its attackers will give him some leeway on these failures, for now. How extensively will Israel pound Hamas in densely populated Gaza? Note that terrorists care little for civilian casualties. Hamas not only mounted the attack knowing fully well that this would make life even more hellish for those in Gaza, but it also sought to maximize Israeli casualties to re-escalate the Israel-Arab conflict. If Palestinian casualties are not minimized, Israel’s Abraham Accords partners will become distant, not to mention sinking potential partnerships such as with Saudi Arabia. This is exactly what Hamas backed by Iran has set out to do. The consequences of further escalation will be suffered by many other countries for sure. Brace up!
