The significant Israeli intelligence failure at the outset of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, can be attributed not only to internal security issues but also to the largest strategic deception executed against the occupation army.
This deception was not solely due to the extensive preparations undertaken by the resistance over many years but also stemmed from what was not done—specifically, the decision to refrain from responding to the Israeli escalation against the Gaza Strip in May of the same year, which included the assassination of six leaders from the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement.
At that time, the occupation media was preoccupied with the commemoration of 50 years since the October 6, 1973 war, analyzing “why that war surprised Israel.” Meanwhile, October 7 brought an unprecedented attack that caught the Israelis off guard, this time launched by a resistance movement rather than a state.
The surprise did not only impact the occupation army and its security apparatuses; it astonished the entire world. What intensified this surprise was that it did not end with the initial moment but continued to unfold over 72 hours, yielding significant results.
This success was achieved despite the fact that Gaza and its borders are under constant Israeli surveillance, monitored by drones and fortified with security cameras and soldiers guarding them, in addition to the presence of informants inside Gaza and the use of technology for intelligence gathering.
However, despite all this, the “Flood” operation succeeded, revealing that Israeli eyes were effectively “closed” in the period leading up to the sudden assault by Hamas.
It is likely that the extent of the intelligence failure and Israeli inability to deal with the al-Qassam Brigades will remain hidden even after investigations and committees are formed, given that “Israel” and its various institutions failed to address the Palestinians effectively.
For two years, Hamas and its military wing executed a precise strategic deception campaign, enabling a force that employs bulldozers, paragliders, and motorcycles to overcome an army described as the “strongest in the Middle East” and “invincible.”
This deception involved keeping Hamas’s military plans under wraps and convincing “Israel” that the movement was not interested in fighting.
A Reuters source close to Hamas stated at the time that “while Israel believed it had contained Hamas, which was exhausted from war by providing economic incentives for workers in Gaza, the group’s fighters were being trained, often in plain sight.”
The source added that “Hamas used unprecedented intelligence tactics to mislead Israel in recent months, creating a general impression that it was unprepared for combat or confrontation with Israel while preparing for this massive operation.”
It was revealed that one of the most striking elements of their preparations was Hamas’s construction of a fake Israeli settlement in Gaza, where they practiced military landings and assault training.
It was noted that Israel certainly observed these activities, but they were convinced that Hamas was not eager to engage in confrontation, having convinced “Israel” that they were more concerned with ensuring that workers in Gaza had job opportunities across the border, rather than having any interest in initiating a new war.
