DECODING TUNNELS, TACTICS, TIME OF HAMAS AND LESSONS FOR ISRAEL 

History repeats! Hamas launched a massive surprise attack on the South of Israel on October 7, 2023. 50 years ago, Egypt and Syrian forces attacked the state of Israel on 6th October 1973, a Jewish holiday, the war came to be known as Yom Kippur war. This article highlights why Hamas attacks now? and also comparing Israel’s immediate response with India’s non-coercive strategy and how Hamas are using tunnels as a strategy will be highlighted in this article. 

Hamas, an Islamist militant movement created during the first intifada (uprising) launched a surprise attack on Israel, which was not detected both by the Mossad and CIA. This is the deadliest attack ever in Israel, and Israel retaliated with massive air strikes and bombings. Why did Hamas attack Israel now? As Israel and the rest of the Arab world were in the period of detente, the Palestine issue was taking a backseat. In the midst of normalization between Israel and Arab countries, Hamas seized this opportunity knowing that Israel will retaliate massively drawing international attention to the longstanding conflict. Israel took the bait and retaliated with massive strikes. It was exactly at this time there was political instability inside Israel due to the judicial overhaul. This calculated move helped Hamas to achieve its goal.

What lessons can Israel learn from India?

During the 26/11 attack, instead of attacking the terrorist group of LeT, India responded in a non-coercive way. India took this step to garner support from the international community against terrorism, which was successful. A retaliatory strike would’ve taken the Indian economy to the rock bottom and also would’ve brought the 1947 situation again. During 1947, India attacked Pakistan in a retaliatory strike, which eventually led to the situation being taken to the UNSC. It was evident that the Pakistan army was involved in the 1947 tribal raiders attack, but UNSC treated both the victim and aggressor similarly and imposed a ceasefire. Drawing lessons from India’s non-coercive action during the 26/11 attack, Israel could’ve also stopped itself from retaliating the strike, which would’ve in turn brought the Arab community closer towards supporting Israel and their support to eliminate the terror groups.

Israel has a powerful army, with modernized weapons, but still with the technological evolution and ancient tactics, Hamas has managed to attack massively. Hamas has dug underground tunnels. In 2021, the group claimed to have built over 300 miles of tunnels. This gives Hamas an exceptional advantage for logistic purposes to transfer weapons, store foods and even launch surprise attacks. It is also difficult for the Israeli forces to communicate underground, due to the weak network and radio signals and also hard for them to navigate their way through. Drones are an option, but narrow regions inside tunnels make it hard for the drones to operate. Using bombs to destroy the tunnels will in turn increase the deaths of civilians, which will bring more international opprobrium to Israel. But Hamas cannot just win by operating inside the tunnels. Thus, Israel must enhance its interceptors and early warning systems. Israel can also take a proactive approach to deal with the evolving strategies of militant groups. 

In conclusion, Hamas’s aim to disrupt regional stability has succeeded. The use of air drones and advanced technologies has facilitated Hamas to strike an attack at a perfect time. The strategies of modern warfare are evolving, so it’s important for countries to leverage historical lessons, analyze and act.