The shock of the attack has left everyone wondering how the Israeli military was caught off guard. Experts are as stunned as anyone that there was no detection of such a large-scale plan. Israel has responded by launching a major operation over Gaza, targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad. There are also preparations for a possible assault from Lebanon, suspecting involvement from Iran. The situation is highly uncertain, and people fear a major escalation. The next steps are unknown, but Israelis are determined to see significant changes in the power dynamics in the region.
This Israel-Hamas war is unlike the ones that came before it, says Haaretz’s Allison Kaplan Sommer. But it was years in the making, says Vox’s Zack Beauchamp.
This episode was produced by Haleema Shah and Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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