Article published in The Daily Express, 20 October 2023. © Richard Kemp
Tactical surprise against Gaza is hard to achieve, but expect to see an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attack unfolding in a way that no-one is predicting.
Strategic surprise is also possible. Everyone is braced for a ground offensive in Gaza.
Don’t be surprised if before that, the IDF launches a major offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon or even Iranian proxies in Syria.
Tactical surprise against Gaza is hard to achieve, but expect to see an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attack unfolding in a way that no-one is predicting.
Strategic surprise is also possible. Everyone is braced for a ground offensive in Gaza.
Don’t be surprised if before that, the IDF launches a major offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon or even Iranian proxies in Syria.
Intelligence is also critical: knowing where the enemy is and what he is doing.
Don’t be misled by the intelligence failures before the Hamas massacre two weeks ago: Israel has hugely capable combat intelligence assets on Gaza, including agents on the ground, communications intercept and unrivalled aerial surveillance.
When the IDF goes into Gaza it will attack with overwhelming force. Air strikes using combat planes, precision missiles and drones will continue and intensify. The greater the destruction of Hamas from the air, the lesser the opposition ground forces will face and the fewer casualties they will take.
Special forces, perhaps including frogmen on the coast, will go in first and are already operating inside Gaza. Their job is to gain intelligence for the main forces and attack key targets, for example using long-range snipers.
They will also be focused on locating and rescuing the 200-plus hostages held by Hamas, perhaps the most challenging aspect of this operation. All of them will have a gun to their head.
Tanks and infantry in armoured personnel carriers as well as armoured bulldozers will follow, directly supported by combat planes, attack helicopters and artillery. Ground forces will head to predetermined priority enemy targets with maximum speed.
Tanks and armoured vehicles are highly vulnerable in the cities and need the protection of infantry on their feet, who will bear the brunt of the fighting. They will advance from building to building, with engineers blowing holes in walls so the infantry can attack from unexpected directions and avoid booby-trapped entrances.
It’s going to be a very tough fight. Gaza terrorists have been preparing for an Israeli ground attack.
IDF soldiers will come up against snipers, mines, anti-tank teams, suicide bombers, hidden improvised explosive devices and drones.
There is also an extensive network of tunnels, known as the “Gaza Metro” that has to be dealt with. Some have been destroyed from the air, but one of the tasks of combat engineers will be to blow them up with explosive charges.
It’s going to be hard to distinguish between civilians and terrorists unless they are pointing a gun at you. Hamas will use civilians as human shields and despite the IDF’s emphasis on preventing innocent deaths, many will unavoidably be killed.
The IDF is well prepared for the fight. I have seen soldiers close to the Gaza border carrying out intensive training and rehearsals before they go in.
They have the latest equipment, networked to give commanders and troops on the ground a picture of the terrain, the enemy and their own force dispositions that would have been beyond any soldier’s wildest dreams just a few years ago.
But ultimately hunting down and killing Hamas terrorists will come down not to hi-tech equipment but to the raw courage of the infantryman on the ground with his guns, bullets and grenades.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
