John Spencer, a retired U.S. Army major and expert on urban and underground warfare, said October 7 was not just a terrorist attack, but a “full-scale invasion” of Israel by an enemy country, adding that Hamas could be dangerous if allowed to do so. He warned that it would set a precedent. To survive, while blaming countries for “playing”. [right] “interfering with Hamas’ strategy” and seeking to halt Israeli operations in Gaza aimed at destroying the terrorist organization’s capabilities.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Spencer, chair of urban warfare research at the Modern Warfare Institute (MWI) at West Point and a world-renowned expert on urban warfare who recently returned from a front-line visit to Israel, He said: His views on the current conflict.
October 7th: “Full-scale invasion”
“It’s a big part of my research,” he began, stressing the importance of understanding the realities of the Jewish state. Contrary to popular belief, he described the events of October 7 as not just a terrorist attack, but a “full scale invasion” involving a division-sized army from Gaza.
“Counting three waves of terrorists and civilians who became combatants in the invasion, there were over 4,000 Gazans from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups,” he said, underscoring the scale and preparedness of the attackers. did.
October 27, 2023: In the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Kibbutz Kfar Azha, one of the areas hardest hit by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught (Giri Yaari/Nur Photo, via Getty Images) )
“They had a plan,” he added, noting that “more than 4,000 rockets were fired” during the invasion.
Terrorist “attacks” typically involve attacks and “planned retreats,” but the October 7 attackers “attacked other military bases, Tel Aviv, [and even] Jerusalem” and remain in those areas.
Although the scale of the plot “was thwarted by police and local rapid response teams,” “by all definitions this was a full-scale invasion of Israel by another country with plans to cause massive harm.” argued Mr. Spencer.
Spencer, who debunked the concept of accidental harm. International Working Group on Underground Warfareparticularly emphasized the calculated brutality of the invasion against civilians.
“The biggest thing I learned from not only watching the Hamas footage but walking there was how well-planned the attacks on civilians were,” he said. “They breached the border wall in 22 different locations, and there were 20 different attack sites.”
“So once they crossed the border, they moved here. chosen area and then start systematically seal They left and killed civilians,” he added.
Khan Yunis, Gaza. To understand battles and wars, there is no substitute for walking the scene.I had the privilege of walking with them. @IDF A division commander who led the fight against Hamas, saw the challenges, talked to the soldiers, and felt the terrain.Thailand @gavrilingi pic.twitter.com/UlYk1k1hHP
— John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) February 29, 2024
According to Spencer, the strategic choice of inflicting large numbers of civilian casualties speaks volumes about the attacker’s intentions, and Hamas has said that Hamas “has been using the greatest care to kill as many civilians as possible.” They are targeting precisely urban areas.”
“It was not a coincidence because some people, like disinformation operatives, were trying to eliminate them,” he said, adding that Hamas “prevented the arrival of aid to civilians and committed systematic killings by civilians.” “It has been prolonged,” he added.
“That was a big part of figuring out what happened,” he explained.
“The world is involved in Hamas’ strategy”
Many people talk about Israel’s strategy, but “what they don’t talk about is Hamas’s strategy,” Spencer said.
Hamas’ strategy is one of information warfare, but as Spencer says, the essence of war is a “game of wills,” and the ultimate goal goes beyond physical conquest to political and psychological domination. .
“War is a contest of wills, not just between the warring armies, but between politicians on both sides. “This is because it concerns the decision-making of the people who only support them,” he said.
Mr. Spencer emphasized the importance of being mindful of the Islamist terrorist organization’s clear statements and intentions, and called for attention to Hamas’s comprehensive plans.
“So Hamas developed a grand strategy to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews,” he said, adding, “Even though we say, ‘This is it,’ no one actually “It’s unique that we have a terrorist group that doesn’t want to listen to us.” [exactly] What I was trying to do. This is my plan. ”
“They are, [explicitly] Since the war began, “I would repeat October 7,” he added, “that was just a warm-up,” and “I would like to repeat it over and over again to accomplish the grand strategy.”
Spencer explained that Hamas’ approach goes beyond traditional war tactics, capitalizing on the international community’s response to civilian casualties, provoking global condemnation of Israel, and disrupting Israeli Defense Force operations. , aimed at protecting Hamas’ military capabilities under the guise of civilian safety.
“Their war strategy is to kill as many civilians as possible and make everyone a martyr. That’s why the world forces the IDF to stop,” he explained.
A key element of Hamas’s military infrastructure is a network of tunnels, which, according to Spencer, are used to facilitate attacks on Israeli civilians and to gamble on international pressure to limit IDF activities. It is said to serve the dual purpose of prolonging the conflict.
Israeli Defense Force soldiers ride in an armored personnel carrier in Beli, Israel, October 17, 2023. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
“The entire network of tunnels under every civilian facility is [buying] “They want the IDF to end, so it’s important how long the IDF lasts, and the international will is also important,” he said, making it clear that civilian areas are being used in a calculated manner for military gain. revealed that.
Mr. Spencer criticized countries that advocate a moratorium on Israel and suggested that the global response to the conflict would be in the hands of Hamas.
“The world is being used for Hamas’s strategy!” he shouted, noting that international calls for a ceasefire are consistent with Hamas’ objectives.
Spencer said the world is “giving hope” that Hamas’ strategy is working.
“Their strategy is to use human shields, cause as much destruction as possible, and convince the world that they are impossible to defeat and that the war should stop, despite their unprecedented success.” “It’s working 100 percent regardless. The IDF is actually achieving results on the ground,” he said.
“The fastest way to deliver [the war] The final goal is to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions,” he added.
However, despite Israel’s efforts to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities and reduce harm to civilians, Hamas continues to use the movement of civilians and hostages to garner international sympathy and condemnation against Israel. He regarded survival in any form as victory, pointing out that:
Despite Israel’s great success in achieving its strategy of eliminating Hamas’ ability to use tunnels to buy time. The goal is to eliminate Hamas’ ability to kill civilians. [false] Story – to deprive them of their military capabilities. And they openly hope that they will survive, because Hamas’ strategy to destroy their military power and capabilities is still working, and that is all Hamas needs to win. This is connected to the fact that
As for what Israel would need to achieve victory, Spencer cited the return of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas and all its military capabilities to ensure “secure Israeli borders.”
“We can define it, and by definition, Israel is achieving it,” he said.
Video: Israel Defense Forces releases surveillance footage of Gaza’s Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar escaping in a tunnel
Manipulation of civilian casualty numbers
Turning to the political situation, Spencer criticizes the number of victims and the manipulation of media coverage.
“We don’t play politics with people’s lives,” he insisted, challenging the reliability of reported casualty figures.
“It’s not even accurate to use Hamas casualty numbers to estimate how the war will go,” he explains. “There have been fewer than 31,000 to 32,000 civilian deaths in Gaza. This brings the number of Hamas fighter deaths to zero.”
In fact, he noted, the Israel Defense Forces have “succeeded in bringing civilian casualties in urban warfare to historic lows.”
“In the history of warfare, we have never seen a war where civilian casualties were counted down to the single digits every day, and only the enemy provided that number,” he said.
the next day
Looking ahead, Spencer emphasized the importance of strategic vision for post-conflict scenarios.
“Israel not only has to plan for the next day,” he acknowledged, pointing to the need to learn from past conflicts to avoid repeating mistakes. You don’t have to spend years learning something and relearning it. And you can see Israel learning from that lesson as it debates what the next day will bring. ”
However, he pointed out that Hamas is not a “counterinsurgency” until it is defeated.
“Post-conflict models and frameworks, counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, creating a new security environment, whether it’s localized tribal leaders or establishing new governance, all of this will destroy Hamas. “It will only happen after we destroy Hamas,” he said.
“But yes, there is a next day. The day after Hamas was destroyed,” he added.
Spencer also warned that as long as Hamas remains in power, “it doesn’t matter what they do, even in northern Gaza.”
“Hamas remains the governing authority in Gaza. Even if military force is imposed elsewhere, it remains a military force,” he said, adding, “We do not want to see the re-emergence of groups like Hamas. There are a number of basic principles that need to be put in place to stop this.”
Members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, participate in a parade in Gaza City, November 14, 2021. (Mahmoud Ham/AFP via Getty Images)
“What that will be is up to Israel and the other partners,” he concluded, noting that “this is not just an Israeli issue.”
In January, Spencer slammed Hamas uses “human sacrifice” tactics and warns that unless Israel completely dismantles the organization, terrorists around the world will repeat “massive genocidal attacks” and take civilian hostages. .
In November he explained While calling the IDF’s mission “highly successful,” he sees Hamas as an “existential threat” and says its strategy is to “self-inflict civilian violence” to prevent the IDF from eliminating civilians. “It’s about creating death and eliciting a reaction from the world.” Military capabilities – “And it’s working.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @Joshua Klein.
