(Dan Tri) – When Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza Strip on the evening of October 27 to open the `next phase` of the war with Hamas, they acted so secretly that it took many hours for the world to know about it.
Footage provided by the Israeli army shows the country’s tanks and infantry in Gaza (Photo: Israel Defense Forces).
No longer just carrying out air strikes from afar, the Israeli army was now in the Gaza Strip, fighting directly with Hamas forces in `fierce` battles.
These were not the short `targeted` raids that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out last week.
But there seems to be a mysterious fog covering Gaza.
`Everything is happening in the dark,` said Andreas Krieg, a war expert at King’s College London, who assessed that `there is a very small group of people who actually know what is going on, right away.`
Mysterious mist
The `mysterious fog` began on the afternoon of October 27, when Israel cut off Gaza’s phone and internet signals to prevent Gazans from sharing what they could see, according to senior US officials.
Immediately afterward, the Israeli Air Force bombarded Gaza City with a massive barrage of rockets that pushed Hamas militants into a network of tunnels.
When the campaign began, the IDF spokesman stopped answering the phone, completing information security work.
Three directions of Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip (Graphic: New York Times).
Mr. Krieg said that when communications are cut, it will be difficult for Hamas to fully grasp what is happening to prepare a response.
It wasn’t until three hours later that the Israeli army vaguely announced that it was `expanding ground operations`.
Through October 28, Israel still avoided describing their move the previous day as a comprehensive attack and only said that their forces remained in Gaza.
Even then, the Israeli military remained very quiet.
Israeli tanks in the south in October, ahead of the ground attack against Hamas in Gaza (Photo: Washington Post).
The Israeli military also released videos showing tanks moving slowly down beaches in northern Gaza.
However, the content of these clips contains very few fighting scenes, while information about the clashes is limited to brief and vague statements.
Until recently, the Israeli military has been more open.
Commander of the IDF Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman (center), in the Gaza Strip, October 30 (Photo: Israel Defense Forces).
Three advantages for Israel
Analysts say the ambiguity of Israel’s campaign offers three advantages.
First, it leaves Hamas uncertain about Israel’s next steps.
The `fog` could also buy Israel more time.
Not only does it help avoid the scrutiny of critics both at home and abroad, but it also gives Israel the opportunity to evaluate the moves of Hamas allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
`Modern warfare is not only waged with tanks and planes,` said Amos Yadlin, former director of Israeli military intelligence.
A photo taken from the southern Israeli city of Sderot shows flares launched by Israeli forces toward the Gaza Strip on October 29 (Photo: AFP/Getty).
Hamas also tried to take advantage of that ambiguity.
A Hamas statement on the afternoon of October 30 said: `The Mujahedeen (`Holy Warriors`) surprised enemy forces advancing northwest of Beit Lahia.`
By the evening of October 30, it seemed that Israeli soldiers were surrounding Gaza City, blocking the entrance from the north and south, but had not yet mobilized large forces to enter.
`It’s like a kind of pincer, cutting off the city and making sure no one can get out,` Mr. Krieg described.
Whether Israel’s tactics are effective remains unclear.
`We are not yet at the urban warfare stage where everything will become a mess,` Mr. Krieg said.