Over 600 people are said to have been killed in Hamas’s widespread attack on Israel. The airstrike came as a shock on Saturday morning and on Sunday Israel declared war on the terror-classified group.
But according to Anders Löfberg, former head of the special forces command in Karlsborg, the attack has been planned for several years.
– I can state that careful planning has been carried out over a long period of time. I assess that both the Israeli intelligence service and the security service have been mapped, he says.
“Requires proper planning”
He believes that Hamas must have been aware of which places they would target in order to get the maximum effect of the attack. In that case, it would mean that Hamas must have personnel inside Israel.
– It requires proper planning, not least to keep this hidden during the preparation phase. But it’s also about bringing in equipment and material and preparing personnel for this, says Löfberg.
– I think they kept up this year.
In addition, the timing is believed to have been chosen thoughtfully, as Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War.
Likely motive
The motive behind the attack has not yet been established, but Anders Löfberg suspects that it is a military demonstration of power and an attempt to gain the respect of the opponent.
– I think that it is primarily about a terrorist attack to show a significantly larger state and military power that you can attack when you want to and thus also make your own population understand that you are stronger than you might think, he says.
But where did they get all the weapons from?
– There is quite a large illegal trade in weapons in the world, unfortunately there is no shortage of weapons. This must have been smuggled into Gaza, probably over a long period of time. I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes in parts and is put together on site in Gaza.
Anders Löfberg does not believe that this type of attack will give Hamas any long-term positive effects in the form of territorial gains or the like.
May have been inspired by the war in Ukraine
Information that Iran would be involved in the attack has been rampant over the weekend, something that Löfberg is also aware of.
– I think Iran has supported Hamas. But I also think that internally you may have studied both the war in Ukraine and other conflicts where small and easily mobile units were used to achieve exactly this type of terror effects. The use of drones, for example, is a copy of how this type of equipment is used in Ukraine.
Anders Löfberg says that he would be surprised if Hamas did not have soldiers and commanders in other countries to train these very methods.