Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is “embarking on a long and difficult war” as it deals with an unprecedented hostage crisis after Palestinian militants launched a surprise land, sea and air attack from Gaza, killing hundreds and infiltrating into Israeli territory.

Saturday’s shock attacks by Hamas led to the deadliest day in decades for Israel and come after months of surging violence between Palestinians and Israelis with the decades-long conflict now heading into uncharted and dangerous new territory. Questions are also swirling over how the entire Israeli military and intelligence apparatus appeared to be caught off guard in one of the country’s worst security failures.

Israel’s political-security cabinet convened late Saturday and made a “series of operational decisions aimed at bringing about the destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, in a way that would negate their ability and desire to threaten and harm the citizens of Israel for many years to come,” according to a statement from the office of Israel’s Prime Minister.

  • @Agent641@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It boggles the mind that the army and mossad fumbled the bag here so bad.

    I mean, you live in a dodgy neighbourhood, you aggro the neighbours, you know their mates are arming them, and you just sleep on it so hard that they smuggle in thousands of weapons, build thousands of rockets, and start an airborne division, some fellas with aks can overrun your army outposts and the 3 tanks you parked near the fence? Its really no black swan event, its just more of the same.

    The whole Israeli govt and army leadership needs to be sacked for their incompetence.