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A Military Assessment of the Israel-Hamas Conflict

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Grant Rumley and Neri Zilber - In the 11-day conflict, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) employed their forces in novel ways, with mixed results. They fired rockets at an unprecedented pace and range, often launching dozens at a time at the same target from different locations in Gaza in an attempt to saturate Israel's Iron Dome defense system. In all, 4,300 rockets were launched, compared to 650 rockets fired over 22 days in 2008-2009, 1,500 over 8 days in 2012, and 4,500 over 50 days in 2014. Yet improvements to Iron Dome largely negated the heavier barrages, as the system maintained a 90% interception rate. Efforts to target strategic infrastructure - offshore natural gas platforms, the Dimona nuclear facility, and airports - failed as well. The sole exception was an early strike that hit a gas storage tank near Ashkelon. Various drones were shot down. Unmanned bomb-laden submarines were destroyed prior to launch. Israel brought mass firepower to bear through the coordination of joint forces, and did so faster and with more pinpoint intelligence than previously seen. The IDF showed an immediate willingness to target senior militant commanders in their homes and installations, including brigade commanders and rocket specialists. Grant Rumley is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, where Neri Zilber is an adjunct fellow.
2021-05-27 00:00:00
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