Can Israel learn from the intelligence failure that led to Hamas attack?

Israel has one of the most advanced and well-equipped militaries in the world.

And yet, on October 7, Hamas fighters breached the Gaza border fence, infiltrated southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people.

Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas. Its bombing campaign has razed much of Gaza to the ground and killed more than 15,000 Palestinians.

Many in the international community have condemned the offensive as disproportionate.

After a brief truce, the bombardment has resumed – and appears to be expanding into the densely populated southern part of the Gaza Strip.

A year ago, senior government officials reportedly dismissed intelligence pointing to an impending attack by Hamas.

Who will be held accountable for the unheeded warnings? And what will it take for Israel to call its operation in Gaza a success?

Presenter: Jonah Hull

Guests:

Oren Ziv – journalist and photographer at +972 Magazine, an independent Israeli online news platform

Antony Loewenstein – author of The Palestine Laboratory, a book on Israel’s arms and surveillance industry

Omar Ashour – professor of security and military studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies