The unprecedented terrorist attack launched by Hamas on Israel shocked not only Israel but the whole world. It was a surprise attack not only for the planning and precision with which it was executed but also for its brutality.

Intelligence is usually the first line of defence. But this was no intelligence failure but a very bad organization, logistics and leadership failure.

Many are calling it Israel’s 9/11 – a tragic event that will change everything and give a new direction for international relations, at least in the Middle East.

Just as the surprise on 9/11 caught American security services off guard, similar criticism is now being directed at the way in which Hamas managed to overwhelm Israeli forces when they entered Israeli territory.

Only in this case, the terrorist attack was a direct confrontation that shattered the Israeli military’s image of invincibility, that of the all-seeing eye of the Israeli secret services and also of the American secret services, who have a particular interest and presence in the region, and who Hamas too managed to evade.

As what happened to the Americans with 9/11, the Israeli security services have also become very reliant on electronic surveillance but this was quickly overcome and deceived by Hamas terrorists mainly with their superior manpower and an intense amount of rockets that overwhelmed the Iron Dome air defence system.

And, as with what happened on 9/11, the victims in Israel came from a wide array of countries, implicating many in the response.

There are also comparisons with what happened in Israel 50 years ago during the Yom Kippur War, and the surprise attack on Israel by neighbouring Arab countries.

Only this time, this was not an attack by internationally recognised states but by Hamas, recognised as a terrorist group by the European Union and many Western countries world whose ideology, when simplified, is based on the destruction of Israel. This is why negotiations for peace will be very difficult.

Hamas exerts control over the Gaza Strip, from which Israel completely withdrew in 2005, while the Palestinian Authority, officially recognized as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, is based in the West Bank. In Palestinian society, Fatah, formerly known as the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), governs the West Bank through the Palestinian Authority, even though Hamas had been the dominant political force in the past.

Crucially, Hamas is not representative of the Palestinian people whose support of Hamas has been dwindling, mainly caused by disillusionment with its leadership.

As with most issues concerning the Middle East, nothing is black or white and there are a dozen factors that can and must be accounted for when determining what led to this attack. And as always, what is happening in the Middle East cannot be taken on its own but has roots that go back long decades.

Leaders on both sides, both past and present, carry a part of the blame, but so does the international community, especially the European Union, conspicuous by its absence in taking the leadership for any peaceful effort in the region.

This in no way absolves these attacks’ barbarity against Israel, described as a cold-blooded slaughter of young and old, with some even beheaded.

But nor can one totally absolve the Israeli government of its responsibility for raising tensions. Critics have for months been warning of settlement expansion, creeping annexation of the West Bank and unrestrained settler attacks on Palestinian civilians, including the ethnic cleansing of villages. These have pushed the occupied territories toward an increase in violence and even another intifada.

On the other hand, while various Israeli governments cannot be fully absolved, Israel cannot be fully blamed for the brutal slaughter that has just been unleashed.

The attacks happened at a time when Israel was coming close to normalising relations with Saudi Arabia after having done so with most of the Gulf states. And Saudi Arabia, together with Israel, is the main nemesis of Iran in the region with the regime in Tehran being the main backer of Hamas.

While one mourns the lives lost on both sides, the cycle of violence that has plagued the Middle East for all these years continues and once again, peace remains elusive. And those least interested in war are paying the heaviest price. The way forward is going to be a torturous one.

From a military point of view, this attack achieved nothing but a provocation for Israel to seek revenge, something which Hamas must have obviously been aware of. Therefore, it is only legitimate that we seek the real reasons for this brutal attack, the outcome of which was very obvious. It is one that is more reminiscent of a suicide attack, a sort of last stand.

As we go to print, matters also seem to be heating up on Israel’s Northern border where another militant movement with close ties to Iran, Hezbollah, is based. At the same time, the United States is beefing up its military presence and warning others not to take advantage of the current upheaval.

Certainly, the current conflict is a situation that hopefully will be treated with a fire extinguisher and not with a flame thrower.

Tonio Galea is editor of Corporate ID Group’s www.cde.news