Two years back, when Hamas launched an unprecedented and ghastly attack on Israeli Defence Forces’ positions and civilians living in nearby Kibbutz, this author had professed that the Israeli reaction would be overwhelming and violent, creating conditions for the war to overspill on all fronts with the potential of becoming a regional war.

Over 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed and around 250 were taken as prisoners. The Israeli psyche was badly bruised and glaring gaps in the intelligence setup and war preparedness were exposed.

A shocked Israeli establishment took considerable time to assess the situation and evolve a comprehensive action plan. Its initial aim was to liberate all the hostages and crush the Hamas leadership and its potency to wage a war of that magnitude

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