Groupthink Led to Group Slaugher

Israeli defenses on the border with Gaza were scaled to deal with the worst-case threat Israelis expected and not the threat Hamas planned and executed.

Israel "assumed that Hamas was 'neither interested [in] nor preparing for a large-scale war' - a perception reinforced by Hamas's own deception tactics" prior to the October 7, 2023 rape, murder, and kidnapping invasion:

The report identifies a broad streak of complacency within the military about Hamas's intentions and how to deal with the threat it posed.

"There was no deep discussion of the question: What if we are wrong?" the report says.

Over time, "a significant and continuous gap between the intelligence assessments of Hamas and reality" had developed.

Real surprise takes place in the minds of the leadership.

Also, counting on allegedly kinder and gentler jihadis is suicidal.

UPDATE: In related news, Hamas will continue waging war behind Gazan human shields rather than disarm in a ceasefire.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

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NOTE: Image from the article.