Ex-CIA chief: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood resounding Israeli intel failure

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + News Website
9 Oct 2023 23:26
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Israeli newspaper Haaretz reveals six key failures by the IOF response, which paved the way for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Former CIA Director John Brennan testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 (AP)

In an interview for MSNBC, John Brennan, former CIA director, said that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is evidence of an epic Israeli intelligence failure.

"Clearly the Israelis didn't have the either human or technical sources that gave them insight into this. And also, I think it's increasingly apparent now that they misread a lot of the signals that were coming out of Gaza in terms of activities that the Hamas members were engaged in," Brennan said.

Brennan hypothesized that the operation had been planned for several years. Additionally, he remarked that there must have been several "tactical missteps" over the past months that had allowed for the operation to take place.

"This clearly was a failure of epic proportions," Brennan said.

After the Israeli occupation's Security Minister Yoav Gallant ordered to cut electricity, water, and food off of #Gaza in the aftermath of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz announced that all water supplies to the Strip had been cut off officially.… pic.twitter.com/Pb3tjAdlqm
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 9, 2023

In the same context, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper highlighted six main shortcomings that allowed for this operation to be realized.

Lack of intelligence warning: The first failure cited in the report was the absence of a timely intelligence warning. This deficiency left Israeli authorities ill-prepared for the impending situation.
Delay in understanding the situation: The Israeli occupation army and military intelligence took an extended period to grasp the gravity of the situation. Security forces only realized that Hamas had abducted soldiers and settlers after videos emerged from Gaza.
Insufficient troop presence: A significant issue emerged as it was revealed that the Israeli military did not have a sufficient number of troops in the affected region.
Logistical challenges: Another notable failure was the difficulty in transporting forces to the operational areas. Soldiers were forced to rely on their families for transportation, revealing logistical shortcomings.
Delays at assembly points: Upon arrival, soldiers faced further delays as they waited for hours at assembly points, hindering their ability to respond effectively.
Misjudging Hamas' intentions: Perhaps the most critical failure identified was the continued misjudgment by the security establishment that Hamas was not interested in engaging in war.

#BREAKING | #Lebanese Army: A Lebanese Army center on the outskirts of the town of Rmeish was targeted, resulting in the injury of an officer with minor injuries.#Lebanon pic.twitter.com/RYejUdsaGp
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 9, 2023

Yesterday, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said this is the worst attack on "Israel" since the 1973 war, referring to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood launched by the Palestinian Resistance on Saturday morning.

Blinken said in his statement to CNN, "Washington's focus now is on helping Israel ensure it has what it needs to deal with this situation."

"We are considering specific additional requests made by the Israelis, and they are likely to be announced today."