How the IDF is turning guerilla warfare against Hamas in Gaza - analysisThe Jerusalem Post By YONAH JEREMY BOB 10/27/2023
Guerilla warfare is almost as old as war, but traditionally it was used by the little/weaker side to hold off the larger/less agile side.The IDF invasion of Gaza has begun, you just did not hear about it, or heard about it but could not tell.
In the last couple of days, the IDF initiated three targeted and short incursions into Gaza, before withdrawing each time.
Two of the incursions were by land and a third was by sea by Shayetet 13 naval commandos.
You did not hear about it or it did not register as significant because, tactically speaking, all each incursion did was destroy a limited number of Hamas infrastructure targets and engage a small number of peripheral Gaza fighters.
Prior airstrikes for three weeks have done far more damage, so the impact was pretty limited.
The media also has not been impressed with these small incursions because the expectations had been set for three weeks of a massive ground assault – the largest ever into Gaza - drawing on the 360,000 IDF reservists who were called up.
What has happened has been minuscule compared to that and still has not even reached the 2014 Gaza war invasion level, which itself was limited.
There are important questions about whether delaying the invasion until now was the right move. Also, there are questions about whether the rest of the large-scale invasion will be delayed beyond a point where world pressure on Israel to end the war escalates.
But assuming the rest of the large-scale invasion happens in the relatively near future, the concept of rolling out the invasion in steps, starting with a variety of surprise and fast “in and out” moves is sound and even smart.
Some analysts thought this process had even started two weeks ago, only to learn a day or two later that reported incursions into Gaza back at that time, were just barely over the border to gather bodies and did not even involve really engaging Hamas.
Essentially,
the IDF is turning guerilla warfare tactics on Hamas.
Turning guerrilla warfare on HamasHamas’ only chance to survive at this point is to bog Israel down with ambushes, boobytraps, and hit-and-run-style attacks deep in Gaza’s cities so as to neutralize Israel’s aerial and other technological advantages.
Smartly, the IDF is not just taking the bait.
Guerilla warfare is almost as old as war, but traditionally it was used by the little/weaker side to hold off the larger/less agile side.
Since terrorists, whether against Israel or the US, started systematically employing guerilla warfare and human shields in urban settings, Washington, and sometimes Jerusalem, have started to figure out that being the larger and more powerful force does not mean needing to give up being agile and using the element of surprise.
More:
https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-770513
