Meanwhile on the International front....

As Israeli military operations continue in the Gaza Strip, a parallel escalation of violence is unfolding in the West Bank. This includes intensified army attacks against Hamas targets and a reported increase in Palestinian fatalities. Alongside these developments, there has been a rise in violence by settlers, apparently aimed at pushing Palestinians from their homes and extending Israeli control in certain areas.
The violence itself is not new, but two things are worth watching. As the attacks spread, there’s growing evidence that soldiers and settlers are working hand in hand. And there are signs that settlers are increasingly worried about a political shift after the war in Gaza—and trying to change the West Bank landscape while they can.
The blurring of lines between the army and the settlers goes back at least two decades. From the 2000s onwards, there has been a bifurcation within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), leading to the emergence of two distinct armies: the official army and a secondary policing force dedicated to operations in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
This policing army is comprised of several elements: an infantry brigade permanently stationed in the region; units of the border police; and settler militias, which are part of what are known as territorial defense units, which are armed and trained by the IDF. The forces of the policing army are bolstered by the rotational deployment of regular combat brigades from the official IDF.
This policing army, ostensibly under formal political control, has effectively morphed into a quasi-militia entity. Its own activities in the West Bank suggest that its underlying goal is the consolidation of Israel’s control over the West Bank, particularly Area C, which encompasses both the Israeli settlements and Palestinian-inhabited regions. This strategy serves as an informal means of annexation, circumventing the need for a formal annexation that would likely face international resistance.
The process has been well documented by journalists and human rights groups. Settler militias carry out aggressive operations that are beyond the remit of official military units. “Settler violence against Palestinians serves as a major informal tool at the hands of the state to take over more and more West Bank land,” the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem wrote in a report.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/11/09/west-bank-palestinians-israeli-settlers-attacks-idf/

 

There's plenty of high tech underground surveillance technology. Some of which we've used ourselves. Tunnel Detectors Ferret Out Enemy Below Ground > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

And more of which is on the way. Market Study on Tunnel Detection Systems: Military Use to Continue Exceeding All Others

But the best source of intelligence is usually an actual human being. Presumably Mossad and the IDF and Israeli Intelligence have informants and people undercover in Gaza and on the West Bank.

 

Judging by the lack of preparation for Oct. 7, I'm buzzing that one.

 

From what I've read, there was lots of accurate intelligence available before October 7.

It was ignored by decision makers.

 

How the dead are counted in Gaza

Israel-Hamas War: U.N. Says Gaza Hospital Has Become ‘Death Zone’

Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war - Committee to Protect Journalists

 

Biden Gaza/Israel/Ukraine/Russia Peace Op, WaPo gift link:

https://wapo.st/47jWaIC

 

We'll see if one of those democracies holds its elections in March. After it banned a dozen political parties.

 

Followed by Al Jazeera.

https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-au...s/most-popular-websites-news-world-monthly-2/

 

I would imagine there's always lots of accurate intelligence surrounding any event. The trick is to tease out what's accurate and what's not, and there's a lot of that, too. So I wouldn't say it was "ignored" so much as "misjudged."

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/egypt...l-ignored-repeated-warnings-of-something-big/

IDF commanders ignored lookouts' warnings over Hamas massacre - report

What Went Wrong? Three Hypotheses on Israel’s Massive Intelligence Failure - Modern War Institute

 

In Beijing, Arab and Muslim ministers urge end to Gaza war

 

Israeli forces battle militants around another Gaza hospital as babies evacuated to Egypt