How Israel’s high-tech ‘Iron
Wall’ crumbled under Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack
Nov 17, 2023
In December 2021, Israel’s
military said a high-tech upgrade to the barrier that had long surrounded the
Gaza Strip would protect nearby Israeli residents from the threat of violence
from militants. The upgrade cost $1 billion and took three years to complete.
This Washington Post investigation shows how on Oct. 7, Hamas exploited
vulnerabilities created by Israel’s reliance on technology at the “Iron Wall”
to carry out the deadliest single assault in Israel’s history. The video
details how Hamas fighters neutralized long-range cameras, sophisticated
sensors and remote-control weapons — a tactic known inside the group as the
“blinding plan” — to breach the high-tech fence. The Post reconstructed the
attack by analyzing hundreds of videos and photos posted online, including
visuals filmed on Oct. 7 and during preparations by Hamas fighters. We reviewed
videos and audio recorded on body cameras worn by militants, scoured footage
from Israeli security cameras and spoke to witnesses. We also examined maps and
planning documents recovered from slain Hamas fighters. The Post found footage
showing 14 separate breaches of the barrier. By comparing the footage with
maps, satellite imagery and other data, reporters pinpointed where the
intrusions occurred — from the Erez crossing in the north to Kerem Shalom in
the south. Israel said there were around 30 breaches in all. Training videos
showing militants attacking mock-ups of Israeli compounds had been posted to
social media months earlier and were visible to all. We found that Hamas had
also been expanding its training camps for several years, activity that is
visible in widely available online maps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcSoNyNd428
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