The massive, complex The attack on Israel by Gaza militants on Saturday stunned Israelis, who watched in horror As fighters, they could easily bypass one of the most advanced security systems in the world.
At least 900 people were killed and more than 2,600 injured in Israel. More than 100 people were captured. According to Palestinian authorities, Israel has bombarded Gaza with airstrikes, killing at least 680 people.
The The “smart fence” that separates Israel from Gaza is equipped with cutting-edge technology to detect any security breach. This is how the militants got through.
In 2021, Israel announced the completion of its “smart fence,” a 40-mile-long barricade along the Gaza Strip that included an underground concrete barrier.
The project was publicly announced in 2016 after Hamas used underground tunnels to attack Israeli forces during the 2014 war. According to Portal, this required more than 140,000 tons of iron and steel and the installation of hundreds of cameras, radars and sensors. Access near the fence on the Gaza side was limited to farmers walking. On the Israeli side, observation towers and sand dunes were built to monitor threats and slow intruders.
In 2021, then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the barrier created an “iron wall” between Hamas and southern Israel.
But on Saturday, through a surprising series of coordinated efforts, Hamas managed to breach the wall. According to the Israeli Defense Forces, the fence was breached at 29 points. Although there were some With Israeli guard towers positioned every 500 feet along the wall in some places, the fighters appeared to encounter little resistance.
The border was only minimally occupied, it soon became clear Much of Israel’s military has been withdrawn to focus on unrest in the West Bank.
“The most compelling parts of the system were the ones that provided indicators and warnings,” said Matthew Levitt, director of the counterterrorism program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “But if you don’t see in advance that someone is crowding the fence, it’s still just a fence. A big fence, but just a fence.”
Drones dropped explosives
Hamas used commercial drones to bomb Israeli observation towers, communications infrastructure and weapons systems along the border.
Coordinated rocket fire and manpower
Israel said Hamas fired more than 3,000 rockets into the country, some reaching as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Militants flew across the border in fan-powered hang gliders.
Explosives along the fence
Militants also used explosives to blow up parts of the barrier. Men on motorcycles drove through the gaps.
Bulldozers did the rest, creating enough space for larger vehicles to pass through.
Experts said the attack would have required at least weeks of preparation and deception.
“The key would be to get the equipment into place over a period of weeks in advance and then place it inside buildings or under tarps,” said Michael E. O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He noted that many of the vehicles may have been hidden in plain sight in parking lots or construction sites.
Still, “the idea of a bulldozer even getting that close to the fence just boggles the mind,” Levitt said.