Okay, so the war started about two years ago. And how did they manage to break into Israel and where did they come from?
**1. Where they came from**
* The attackers came **from the Gaza Strip**, a densely populated Palestinian territory along Israel’s southwest border.
* Hamas is the de facto governing authority in Gaza, and it maintains armed brigades.
**2. How they broke into Israel**
* **Multiple breach points**: Fighters stormed the heavily fortified border fence using **explosives, bulldozers, cutting equipment, and even paragliders**.
* **Sea and air infiltration**: Some militants crossed by small boats along the coast; others used motorized paragliders to fly over the fence.
* **Rocket barrages**: At the same time, thousands of rockets were fired toward Israeli cities. This overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome system and distracted security forces.
* **Communications jamming and surprise**: Reports indicate that Hamas used drones to disable some Israeli observation towers and communications equipment, which made detection and response slower.
**3. Why Israel was caught off guard**
* The border between Israel and Gaza was considered one of the most secure in the world, with sensors, cameras, and walls.
* Israeli intelligence and military did not expect such a large-scale, multi-pronged operation, so the attack achieved **tactical surprise**.
After breaching the border, Hamas militants entered southern Israeli communities, army bases, and a music festival, killing civilians and soldiers and taking over 200 hostages back into Gaza.