On October 7, 2023, four thousand terrorists from Hamas and other groups crossed into Israel and attacked over twenty sites in southern Israel. The attacks killed over 1,200 Israelis and the attackers kidnapped 240 hostages, taking them back into Gaza. The attack sparked the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In this episode of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project Podcast, John Spencer discusses his research on the October 7 attacks. Based on multiple visits to Israel and interviews with first responders, victims, and officials, he describes the details of a number of the sites targeted in the attacks, the tactics and the composition of the Hamas attacking force, and the initial responses to the attacks. He highlights many of the common characteristics of urban warfare that were on display during the attacks and how it might serve as a case study from which to extract lessons on terrorism and urban warfare.
You can find the two articles John references during the episode here:
- “‘You Cannot Unsee the Evil’: A Report on the Graphic Hamas Terror Video, From Combat Veteran John Spencer“
- “A Lesson on Human Suffering from a Kibbutz“
Listen to the episode below or find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app. Be sure to subscribe, and if you’re enjoying the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, please take a minute and leave the podcast a review or give it a rating!
As I've said in my book and elsewhere, Hamas copied the Viet Cong (and included the North Vietnamese Army on various occasions, such as the Easter Offensive of 1972) in their use of sadistic violence. It's unfortunate that the press repeatedly chose not to report how their butchery (and sometimes enjoyment) spread across the country.
Much of what Hamas has done will be ignored because what has happened to the kidnapped violates our senses. A soldier in Tet 68 was captured and suffered torture for over 5 years in Hanoi – he spent a year more in a U.S. military hospital after all the prisoners were released.
These kind of things are not taught in our military and should be.
I don't agree with you. Israel has done nothing to improve the situation after the Oslo agreement. they are doing everything they can to oppress the Palestinians. occupy them and give them no hope. Is it any wonder then that resistance groups are formed that want to fight against those who oppress. it is also public knowledge that israel imprisons children without trial. I agree that the attack carried out by Hamas is horrific. but the attack on israel afterwards is over 100 times worse. just the fact that you give Israel support destroys all credibility for you. let the Palestinians have their own state and hope for the future.
BS
As with the Paris Accords of 1973 so too the Oslo Agreement of 1993, the only (and highly significant) difference is that Israel negotiated on its own behalf, while the Republic of [South] Viet-Nam was reliant on Henry Kissinger who negotiated principally upon behalf of the United States. The end results of the "honorable peace" in Vietnam spoke for themselves in 1975, The North Vietnamese had no intention of recognizing South Vietnam's right to exist any more than the PLO and today's Hamas have ever had the slightest intention of negotiating a sincere and lasting peace with Israel. Hamas has, therefore, has several attributes in common with the Viet Cong (meaning Vietnamese Communists). As Mr Baker pointed out, both organizations have committed atrocities for cynical strategic and personal purposes and not, therefore because they are "resisting oppression." The Hamas attack was "horrific" because its ultimate objective is horrific. Like the VC, Hamas has developed a savvy, step-by-step approach to total victory; secondly (and relatedly) it relies upon sympathisers in the West to do its propaganda better that it can do it for itself. Over many years, I have wished and prayed for a two-state solution, but not as a stepping stone to a genocidal "one-state" Palestinian solution from "the river to the sea." Insisting that "Palestinians have their own state and hope for the future" is tantamount to demanding that Israel destroy itself in the name of "peace". Hamas and the supposedly moderate Palestinian Authority have made it very clear where their "hope for the future" lies. And I use the last word of the preceding sentence advisedly.
The US government wants the Israeli government to learn lessons from the Iraqi and Afghan wars, rightly so. I hope the US government can learn enough in the way of lessons from October 7th to prevent similar types of attacks from happening in the US.