US Congress alarmed by Israeli intelligence failure, Hamas success
4 Min Read
US officials suspect that Iran may have cooperated in the coordination of the al-Aqsa Flood operation.
-
The ornate corridor outside the House of Representatives chamber is devoid of activity, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, following the ouster of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy by a contingent of hard-right conservatives this week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Biden administration provided briefings to House and Senate intelligence committee staff members about the ongoing situation in "Israel," Politico reported on Saturday, noting that questions are being raised on whether the US and "Israel" had any knowledge prior to Hamas launching its resistance operation.
The briefings, conducted at the classified level, raised questions about why Israeli intelligence appeared to be unaware of the operation. Staff members are particularly interested in investigating potential lapses in intelligence, considering it a plausible scenario at this time.
"That something of this size could be pulled off, I can tell you that that is not done without a lot of observable signals," said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. "It was kind of shocking in its size and ambition."
Read more: Palestinian Resistance operation takes Israeli occupation by storm
Himes mentioned that committee members have requested a briefing upon their return to Washington on Tuesday. He expressed his intention to reserve judgment until he has all the facts. However, he noted that while Israeli intelligence is highly regarded, the attack raises numerous questions regarding who had prior knowledge.
Mick Mulroy, a former Pentagon official and CIA officer, labeled the recent attacks as an "intelligence failure" and highlighted signs such as the buildup of munitions, preparations by the resistance fighters, and cyber activities that should have been noticed.
The Iran hypothesis
While primarily attributing blame to Israeli officials, he also suggested that US intelligence should have detected some of these indicators. Though the US doesn't offer air defense coverage for "Israel," the two allies collaborate on intelligence sharing.
"They should have picked up something of this scale," Mulroy said, adding that the intricate nature of the operation suggests the involvement of a nation-state, possibly Iran.
One potential motive could have been to disrupt the talks brokered by the US between "Israel" and Saudi Arabia.
"If Iran was behind it and is orchestrating this in any sense, they have multiple proxies around "Israel," and could escalate by initiating attacks from multiple directions, including Syria," Mulroy said.
A 'catastrophic' failure
A former Israeli security official described the unprecedented attack as a "catastrophic" failure that occurred due to the "disarray" within the IOF and intelligence services, which allowed it to happen.
"It’s a failure in terms of intelligence, operationally," said Chuck Freilich, the country’s former deputy national security adviser. "It’s clear we were caught totally unprepared by this. The divisional headquarters responsible for Gaza was occupied, they’re in disarray, and so the whole response has been delayed."
Himes also suggested that Iran likely played a role in coordinating the operation.
"We are absolutely going to support Israel in every way we can, and this is going to end very badly for Hamas," Himes said. "If Iran had a hand in this, it will end badly for Iran."
Read more: Netanyahu says 'Israel' at war, Hamas initiated 'surprise attack'
Earlier today, the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza launched barrages of rockets toward illegal Israeli settlements, including "Bat Yam" and "Rishon LeZiyyon" south of "Tel Aviv".
Mohammad Deif, Commander-in-Chief of al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said that the operation was launched in response to the Israeli occupation's desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as multiple assaults against women in its courtyards.
The Israeli emergency services said there are dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries, some of whom cannot be reached.
Latest updates reveal that at least 600 injured individuals were transported to hospitals, 103 of which are in critical condition. Sixty settlers and soldiers in severe condition have been transported to the "Soroka" Hospital, according to the Israeli emergency services.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later recognized that "Israel" is "at war" and that Hamas had initiated "a surprise attack".
