Political analyst Yakov Kedmi appeared on Tsargrad.tv to scrutinize the IDF’s actions after Hamas carried out a surprise assault. He recalled Israel’s past confrontation with two major regional armies in 1973 and argued that, in recent days, the Israeli defense forces were overwhelmed by a group of lightly armed fighters, leading to a collapse of the southern front.
He criticized the response measures as ineffective. According to Kedmi, the warning system, the communications network, and even the expensive barriers proved useless. He stated that none of these defenses stopped a single armored vehicle, and he emphasized his frustration with the perceived failures across multiple layers of security.
Kedmi highlighted what he described as 85 critical turning points within a 64-kilometer corridor, asserting that Hamas could not be halted. As a result, he claimed, settlements located four to five kilometers inside the territory were captured without resistance.
On 7 October, Hamas forces launched thousands of rockets into Israel and announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, declared a state of emergency within the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently declared that the nation was at war. The IDF’s campaign against Hamas was referred to as Operation Iron Swords.
Earlier reports noted that Britain planned to provide support by dispatching ships and helicopters to assist Israel.