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♪ ♪
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(indistinct chatter)
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>> More than 20 years,
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we are suffering
from rockets here.
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>> JON SWAINE: Before October 7,
had anyone intruded?
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Had they
come into the kibbutz,
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or was that the first day
that people...
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>> This is the first day.
>> SWAINE: Yeah.
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(voiceover): I met
Israel Lender in Kfar Aza,
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near the border with Gaza,
in the weeks after the Hamas
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massacre that left around 60 of
his neighbors dead.
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>> This is my house.
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You see now
they covered all the...
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glasses that was broken.
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From here, they can see
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all the streets.
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>> SWAINE:
So they came here,
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they went on your roof?
>> Yes.
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>> SWAINE:
So they could have a view
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of the rest of the kibbutz.
>> Yes, yes, yes.
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>> SWAINE:
He told me Hamas gunmen
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stormed his house
shortly after sunrise,
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and turned it
into a sniper's nest.
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He hid with his wife in
a nearby room for 36 hours.
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>> The door was closed,
the windows was closed,
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and the glass was open.
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So I could hear everything.
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(distorted speech
and gunfire)
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(indistinct shouting,
radios beeping)
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(indistinct shouting)
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>> (speaking Arabic)
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>> (screaming)
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(boom echoing)
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>> Terrible.
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You can't, you can't,
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you can't...
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think about it.
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♪ ♪
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You can't believe it.
>> SWAINE: Mm.
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>> You can't believe it.
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You can't imagine it.
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What they did here...
>> SWAINE: Mm.
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>> Nobody can do.
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They build a big wall.
>> SWAINE: Mm-hmm.
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>> They said to us,
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40, 40 meters in the ground,
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with the sensors
that nobody can--
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and six meter up.
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>> SWAINE: They said
"This will protect you."
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>> Yeah.
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We believe that
this can protect us.
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>> SWAINE:
They just broke through.
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They came through.
>> They came through.
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♪ ♪
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>> (speaking Arabic):
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>> SWAINE:
On the morning of October 7,
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more than a thousand fighters
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from the Palestinian
militant group Hamas
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broke through the
20-foot-high barrier
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that has long-separated Israel
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from the Gaza Strip,
a densely populated enclave
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that is home to more than
two million Palestinians.
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The 37-mile long barrier
was completed in 1996
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and is outfitted with
cutting-edge surveillance tools,
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a deep underground
concrete layer
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to block Hamas tunnels,
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and remote-control
machine guns above ground.
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After a billion-dollar
upgrade in 2021,
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Israeli officials dubbed it
"the Iron Wall."
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>> (speaking Hebrew):
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(explosion booming)
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>> SWAINE:
But in a matter of minutes,
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Hamas was able
to breach the fence
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in around 30 locations--
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the start of what would become
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the deadliest assault in
Israel's history.
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At least 1,200
people were killed;
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240 were taken hostage.
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♪ ♪
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The attack triggered
a catastrophic war in Gaza
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that has killed thousands
of Palestinians so far.
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Israel has vowed
to destroy Hamas,
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which has controlled
the territory for years.
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>> Broadly,
the fighters entered
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at 6:40 A.M.
>> SWAINE: Uh-huh.
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And that's the same incident,
just from the other side
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of the street.
>> Exactly.
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>> SWAINE (voiceover):
Soon after the Oct 7 attack,
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"The Washington Post"
began investigating
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how the so-called Iron Wall
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could have failed
so spectacularly.
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Our team of reporters analyzed
hundreds of videos, photos,
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and audio recordings
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from before, during,
and after the attack.
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With "Frontline,"
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we spoke with witnesses
on the ground.
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>> We got hit with
the first RPG.
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>> SWAINE: And examined maps
and planning documents
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recovered from Hamas fighters.
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We took the visual evidence
from October 7
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and mapped it across
southern Israel
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and inside the Gaza Strip,
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sometimes using
the position of the sun
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to estimate when
key events occurred.
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What we found
was a fragile barrier
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that gave Israel
a false sense of security.
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leaving it blind
to its own vulnerabilities
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and to the meticulous plan
taking shape
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on the other side
of the fence.
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(indistinct shouting)
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>> SWAINE: The attack
began at dawn, around 6:15 A.M.
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Videos recovered
from Hamas fighters
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show them
setting off from Gaza,
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and heading toward the fence,
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which has long been resented
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by Gazans who've been
penned in by it.
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(Hamas fighters
shouting in Arabic)
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>> SWAINE: People along
the road cheered them on.
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(explosion booming)
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(shouting in Arabic)
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(rockets firing)
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>> SWAINE:
Around 6:30,
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as fighters made
their way to the fence,
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Hamas began firing a barrage
of thousands of rockets
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at targets
across the barrier.
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♪ ♪
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In just the first five minutes
of the attack,
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there were red alerts for more
than 30 communities
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near the Israeli side
of the wall.
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In Kibbutz Erez,
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less than a mile from the
barrier,
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Ben Sadan, a member of
the community security,
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had just woken up for
an early morning bike ride.
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>> (speaking Hebrew):
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>> SWAINE: So over there,
we can see Gaza.
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>> (in English): There.
>> SWAINE: Yeah.
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And the, the security fence...
>> Yeah.
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>> SWAINE: You can see it
running along there,
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and there's the towers
with the machine gun.
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>> Yeah.
It's the border.
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>> SWAINE: Yeah.
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>> On the left side, it's Gaza.
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On the right side, Israeli.
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>> SWAINE: And I think
some of the earliest rockets
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came over just around here.
>> All around, all around.
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(in Hebrew):
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>> SWAINE:
From this hilltop,
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the next wave of
Hamas's attack became visible.
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Reconnaissance fighters
on paragliders,
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soaring over the wall under
cover from the rockets.
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Videos we obtained
show them landing in
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communities inside Israel,
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the culmination of a plan
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that had been years
in the making--
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and that,
as we discovered,
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had been brewing in plain
sight.
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>> When I first saw this video,
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I was like, "Oh, this is
video from day of.
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How did they get this
produced out so quickly?"
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And then,
once you look closer...
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(clicks tongue) Oh.
It's obviously a training video.
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♪ ♪
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>> SWAINE: Our investigation
found multiple videos
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recorded by Hamas detailing
their planning measures.
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Some were posted on
social media before the attack,
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visible to all.
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We found videos of militants
training for attacks
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on mock-ups
of Israeli compounds.
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Videos posted
soon after the attack
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showed they had
also been practicing
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the use of paragliders.
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Hamas had also been expanding
their training camps,
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activity that was visible
in widely available online maps.
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But this evidence
was largely ignored
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or dismissed by Israeli
intelligence and the military,
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our investigation found.
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♪ ♪
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Michael Milshtein
is a former head of
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the Palestinian department
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for Israel's
military intelligence.
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He has been strongly
critical of their missteps
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leading up to October 7.
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Israel knew about,
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about the whole plans,
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because, you know,
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Hamas didn't hide them.
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It was on public,
on their internet sites,
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on their TV, everywhere.
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From the operational tactic
point of view,
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October the 7th,
we-- Israel, IDF--
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didn't...
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face any, any surprise
over there.
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>> SWAINE: Were there
specific warnings
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that something like this
could be coming?
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>> Well, according to reports
in the Israeli media,
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there was
very focused reports
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about the whole plan,
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the, the whole offensive plan,
that promoted...
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and actually the data,
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the reports itself,
were known,
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even to senior ranks,
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senior figures
in IDF intelligence.
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But the basic assumption,
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the basic assessment
in the intelligence,
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was that those are
only trainings
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or theoretic...
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theoretic attempts.
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But we are not speaking
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about something
which is very feasible.
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♪ ♪
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(Hamas fighters
speaking Arabic)
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>> SWAINE: The heart of
Hamas's operation on October 7
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was the stage
that their videos call
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"the blinding plan,"
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aimed at severing
the connections
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to Israel's surveillance
and security system.
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♪ ♪
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Israel uses seven "Skystar"
surveillance balloons
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to monitor hotspots along
the Gaza fence.
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The balloons carry a long-range,
360-degree camera.
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But the model of camera
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that Israel
uses on the balloons
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is relatively old
and is no longer made.
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On the morning of October 7,
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we found that
three of the seven balloons
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00:10:51,583 --> 00:10:53,118
had been shut down
for maintenance.
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00:10:53,151 --> 00:10:55,654
(indistinct shouting,
weapons firing)
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Video from the attack shows
one of the remaining balloons.
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A source told us
it had been cut loose
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by the militants.
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00:11:04,029 --> 00:11:05,597
The balloons
are part of a system
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00:11:05,630 --> 00:11:08,500
that includes surveillance
and weapons towers.
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00:11:08,533 --> 00:11:10,436
Visuals and other data
from the towers
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00:11:10,469 --> 00:11:13,672
are fed into monitoring
centers inside Israel,
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00:11:13,705 --> 00:11:15,007
including one near Re'im.
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00:11:17,342 --> 00:11:19,478
>> It doesn't matter how many
combat soldiers they are.
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00:11:19,511 --> 00:11:21,447
If they don't know
where the enemy is,
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they can't fight the enemy.
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00:11:25,283 --> 00:11:27,119
>> SWAINE: Rotem Horowitz
spent two years
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00:11:27,152 --> 00:11:29,121
monitoring
the camera feeds at Re'im
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00:11:29,154 --> 00:11:31,891
before completing her
military service last spring.
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00:11:33,658 --> 00:11:35,594
Three of the balloons
were out of service
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on the day,
they weren't working.
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00:11:37,295 --> 00:11:38,931
>> Mm-hmm.
>> SWAINE: The cameras
245
00:11:38,964 --> 00:11:40,466
needed to be repaired,
but they're old
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00:11:40,499 --> 00:11:43,302
and out of production.
>> Yeah.
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So...
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>> SWAINE:
Is that a big problem?
249
00:11:45,470 --> 00:11:46,672
>> I personally think it is.
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00:11:47,806 --> 00:11:52,344
They were first brought
into use in 2006, and...
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ever since then, it's
kind of been the same system.
252
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It doesn't work very well
253
00:11:57,716 --> 00:11:59,284
during rough weather,
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00:11:59,317 --> 00:12:01,186
like, only when weather
conditions are perfect.
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00:12:01,219 --> 00:12:04,456
>> SWAINE:
Do you remember people
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00:12:04,489 --> 00:12:06,191
sending up warnings
that, you know,
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00:12:06,224 --> 00:12:07,726
these balloons
are getting out of date,
258
00:12:07,759 --> 00:12:08,894
some of them aren't working,
259
00:12:08,927 --> 00:12:09,929
they're not working
in bad weather?
260
00:12:11,096 --> 00:12:14,066
>> Yeah, I know that
261
00:12:14,099 --> 00:12:17,269
the surveillance operators
on the balloon have...
262
00:12:17,302 --> 00:12:20,139
as long as I've been there,
you know, I served there--
263
00:12:20,172 --> 00:12:23,976
we've been complaining
about how the balloons see
264
00:12:24,009 --> 00:12:26,712
and, like, in general,
their quality.
265
00:12:26,745 --> 00:12:28,114
>> SWAINE: Mm.
>> Ever since I can remember.
266
00:12:30,315 --> 00:12:31,784
>> SWAINE: The balloons
are supplemented
267
00:12:31,817 --> 00:12:35,354
by surveillance towers
containing HD cameras,
268
00:12:35,387 --> 00:12:38,390
laser and infrared sensors,
and radars,
269
00:12:38,423 --> 00:12:40,859
and can see people
for almost six miles away,
270
00:12:40,892 --> 00:12:42,428
according to the manufacturer.
271
00:12:44,029 --> 00:12:46,498
Other structures,
called Sentry Tech towers,
272
00:12:46,531 --> 00:12:48,867
are topped with
Samson weapons stations,
273
00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:51,570
which feature machine guns
and sensors.
274
00:12:51,603 --> 00:12:53,472
They're positioned
every few hundred yards
275
00:12:53,505 --> 00:12:54,573
along the barrier
276
00:12:54,606 --> 00:12:56,909
and outside
key military facilities,
277
00:12:56,942 --> 00:12:59,211
and are nicknamed "Roeh-Yoreh,"
278
00:12:59,244 --> 00:13:01,580
Hebrew for "Sees Fires".
279
00:13:03,014 --> 00:13:05,017
Once the sensors send an
intruder alert,
280
00:13:05,050 --> 00:13:06,785
IDF personnel can fire
281
00:13:06,818 --> 00:13:08,287
the 50-caliber machine guns
282
00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:09,822
by remote control.
283
00:13:11,022 --> 00:13:12,925
>> We have to really make sure
284
00:13:12,958 --> 00:13:15,861
that we can firmly see
a weapon and a threat
285
00:13:15,894 --> 00:13:18,130
before we can actually
do anything with it.
286
00:13:18,163 --> 00:13:21,066
So usually, like, if someone's
getting close to the fence,
287
00:13:21,099 --> 00:13:22,868
we use it to kind of--
288
00:13:22,901 --> 00:13:23,936
not shoot at them,
but shoot near them
289
00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:25,537
to kind of, like,
scare them away.
290
00:13:25,570 --> 00:13:26,805
Like, "Don't come close."
291
00:13:26,838 --> 00:13:27,940
You know, we're
not going to touch them
292
00:13:27,973 --> 00:13:29,241
if they don't come close.
293
00:13:29,274 --> 00:13:31,143
The moment they're
showing they're a threat
294
00:13:31,176 --> 00:13:33,445
and they're coming close,
that's when we start to act.
295
00:13:33,478 --> 00:13:37,583
>> (speaking Hebrew):
296
00:13:37,616 --> 00:13:40,652
>> SWAINE: Video from one of the
sentry towers on October 7
297
00:13:40,685 --> 00:13:43,121
shows it firing on
a group of Hamas fighters
298
00:13:43,154 --> 00:13:45,691
as they approached
the fence near Kissufim.
299
00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:51,130
But that's not
what happened elsewhere.
300
00:13:52,731 --> 00:13:56,235
Hamas fighters had come
prepared to evade the towers,
301
00:13:56,268 --> 00:13:58,403
and documents recovered
after the attack
302
00:13:58,436 --> 00:14:00,205
reveal a deep
and detailed knowledge
303
00:14:00,238 --> 00:14:01,407
of Israeli defenses.
304
00:14:02,574 --> 00:14:04,476
In this one,
they specifically note
305
00:14:04,509 --> 00:14:06,912
the locations
of surveillance systems.
306
00:14:08,647 --> 00:14:10,048
Fighters also
carried with them
307
00:14:10,081 --> 00:14:11,917
open source satellite imagery
308
00:14:11,950 --> 00:14:14,253
annotated with coded locations
309
00:14:14,286 --> 00:14:15,988
of key structures
along the wall.
310
00:14:18,156 --> 00:14:19,658
Armed with this information,
311
00:14:19,691 --> 00:14:21,059
Hamas carried out
their blinding plan
312
00:14:21,092 --> 00:14:24,429
using unmanned drones
equipped with cameras,
313
00:14:24,462 --> 00:14:26,531
to drop explosives
on installations
314
00:14:26,564 --> 00:14:28,066
like this surveillance tower
315
00:14:28,099 --> 00:14:29,668
in the community of Be'eri.
316
00:14:31,436 --> 00:14:33,505
Of the sentry tech towers
marked on the map,
317
00:14:33,538 --> 00:14:36,642
we verified videos of at least
two of them being attacked.
318
00:14:38,009 --> 00:14:40,078
This one,
located near Kfar Aza,
319
00:14:40,111 --> 00:14:44,016
was attacked
twice by Hamas drones.
320
00:14:44,049 --> 00:14:45,484
Incendiary explosive devices
321
00:14:45,517 --> 00:14:47,052
with fuses were dropped on
322
00:14:47,085 --> 00:14:48,254
the camera and weapons system.
323
00:14:50,355 --> 00:14:53,725
Some of the training videos
we found posted online
324
00:14:53,758 --> 00:14:55,227
show that these drone maneuvers
325
00:14:55,260 --> 00:14:56,361
had been well-rehearsed.
326
00:14:56,394 --> 00:14:57,996
(bomb bursting)
327
00:14:58,029 --> 00:15:01,533
Other videos from the 7th
show towers being attacked
328
00:15:01,566 --> 00:15:03,502
with rocket-propelled
grenades
329
00:15:03,535 --> 00:15:05,671
and gunfire.
330
00:15:05,704 --> 00:15:08,106
It's hard to tell
just from the video evidence
331
00:15:08,139 --> 00:15:10,976
how badly damaged
the installations were.
332
00:15:13,545 --> 00:15:15,547
Hi, thank you so much
for your time,
333
00:15:15,580 --> 00:15:17,449
I really appreciate you coming
and seeing us tonight...
334
00:15:17,482 --> 00:15:19,518
(voiceover):
But retired Colonel Dany Tirza,
335
00:15:19,551 --> 00:15:23,021
the former head of the Israeli
military's fence administration,
336
00:15:23,054 --> 00:15:26,191
told me Hamas's blinding plan
drastically undermined
337
00:15:26,224 --> 00:15:28,394
Israel's ability
to respond to the attack.
338
00:15:30,729 --> 00:15:32,731
>> That was a real failure,
339
00:15:32,764 --> 00:15:35,867
because they succeeded
340
00:15:35,900 --> 00:15:38,170
to cut the command system.
341
00:15:38,203 --> 00:15:40,739
The command system of
all this area...
342
00:15:40,772 --> 00:15:43,608
>> SWAINE: Mm-hmm.
>> ...was built on
343
00:15:43,641 --> 00:15:45,644
one control system,
344
00:15:45,677 --> 00:15:48,080
and they succeeded to cut it.
345
00:15:48,113 --> 00:15:49,781
And therefore,
346
00:15:49,814 --> 00:15:52,684
we couldn't use helicopters,
347
00:15:52,717 --> 00:15:55,520
because according
to the Israeli system,
348
00:15:55,553 --> 00:15:57,255
the helicopters cannot shoot
349
00:15:57,288 --> 00:15:59,157
if there is not someone
on the ground
350
00:15:59,190 --> 00:16:02,127
that show them
where are your forces,
351
00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,629
where are the
other side forces.
352
00:16:04,662 --> 00:16:06,631
So they came,
but they couldn't shoot,
353
00:16:06,664 --> 00:16:08,033
because they didn't know
354
00:16:08,066 --> 00:16:09,668
who and what
is going on there.
355
00:16:09,701 --> 00:16:13,972
>> SWAINE: In 2021,
when the latest upgrade...
356
00:16:14,005 --> 00:16:15,374
was unveiled,
357
00:16:15,407 --> 00:16:17,642
some of the political
and military leaders
358
00:16:17,675 --> 00:16:21,179
made very firm, quite bold,
claims for the barrier.
359
00:16:21,212 --> 00:16:23,715
They said, "This will protect
360
00:16:23,748 --> 00:16:24,983
"the residents in the south.
361
00:16:25,016 --> 00:16:27,352
Hamas will not get in."
362
00:16:27,385 --> 00:16:28,687
And...
363
00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,358
Was that a mistake,
to promise those things?
364
00:16:33,758 --> 00:16:35,093
>> Of course
it was a mistake.
365
00:16:35,126 --> 00:16:38,430
We really thought
that we are building
366
00:16:38,463 --> 00:16:39,998
a very good infrastructure
367
00:16:40,031 --> 00:16:43,668
that will help to save
the lives of the Israelis.
368
00:16:43,701 --> 00:16:45,771
Unfortunately, it didn't work.
369
00:16:47,305 --> 00:16:49,374
>> SWAINE:
He said the attack exposed
370
00:16:49,407 --> 00:16:51,010
a fundamental misconception
about the fence.
371
00:16:52,911 --> 00:16:56,081
>> It was built against people
that will try to cross it.
372
00:16:56,114 --> 00:16:58,450
It wasn't built against army
373
00:16:58,483 --> 00:17:01,754
or against a lot of people
that are coming in one time.
374
00:17:02,887 --> 00:17:04,423
>> SWAINE:
Were you surprised--
375
00:17:04,456 --> 00:17:07,092
you, personally-- surprised
376
00:17:07,125 --> 00:17:09,494
at how quickly they were
able to blast through
377
00:17:09,527 --> 00:17:12,164
and make it into
the bases and beyond?
378
00:17:13,264 --> 00:17:17,169
>> I myself was not surprised
379
00:17:17,202 --> 00:17:20,272
that they crossed it so quickly,
380
00:17:20,305 --> 00:17:23,375
because defense is not built
381
00:17:23,408 --> 00:17:25,377
for such fighting.
382
00:17:25,410 --> 00:17:26,812
It was built for another thing.
383
00:17:26,845 --> 00:17:29,681
If you want to stop an army,
384
00:17:29,714 --> 00:17:31,850
you are doing it with
army tools.
385
00:17:31,883 --> 00:17:34,653
If you want to stop
one, two, three terrorists,
386
00:17:34,686 --> 00:17:38,256
you're doing it with soft tools,
like what we did.
387
00:17:38,289 --> 00:17:41,259
We didn't thought
that there will come
388
00:17:41,292 --> 00:17:44,062
a terror army
from the other side,
389
00:17:44,095 --> 00:17:46,932
that were crossing at
the same time, big groups,
390
00:17:46,965 --> 00:17:49,835
and we were not prepared for it.
391
00:17:51,569 --> 00:17:54,573
♪ ♪
392
00:17:54,606 --> 00:17:56,741
>> SWAINE:
The Israeli government says
393
00:17:56,774 --> 00:17:58,043
Hamas broke through the fence
394
00:17:58,076 --> 00:17:59,978
in around 30 locations.
395
00:18:00,011 --> 00:18:02,948
We obtained videos from
14 of them.
396
00:18:04,215 --> 00:18:06,284
♪ ♪
397
00:18:06,317 --> 00:18:08,587
The videos show trained
Hamas fighters
398
00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:11,223
using a range of explosives
and munitions
399
00:18:11,256 --> 00:18:13,558
to blow holes in the fence
400
00:18:13,591 --> 00:18:14,759
and its concrete barriers.
401
00:18:14,792 --> 00:18:16,394
(explosion blasting)
402
00:18:16,427 --> 00:18:17,496
(indistinct yelling)
403
00:18:17,529 --> 00:18:19,931
♪ ♪
404
00:18:19,964 --> 00:18:21,366
It took them only minutes.
405
00:18:21,399 --> 00:18:24,069
♪ ♪
406
00:18:24,102 --> 00:18:25,604
By around 6:40 A.M.,
407
00:18:25,637 --> 00:18:28,306
Israel's Iron Wall
had largely crumbled.
408
00:18:28,339 --> 00:18:31,877
♪ ♪
409
00:18:39,284 --> 00:18:42,287
♪ ♪
410
00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,055
In the weeks
that have followed,
411
00:18:44,088 --> 00:18:46,057
Israel's military and
intelligence establishments
412
00:18:46,090 --> 00:18:48,427
have come under
intense criticism.
413
00:18:49,761 --> 00:18:51,830
A spokesman for
the Israeli Defense Forces,
414
00:18:51,863 --> 00:18:53,932
Lieutenant Colonel
Peter Lerner,
415
00:18:53,965 --> 00:18:56,969
agreed to speak with me
at a military base in Tel Aviv.
416
00:18:58,403 --> 00:19:00,972
Hamas has published
several training videos
417
00:19:01,005 --> 00:19:03,842
which appear to show fighters
418
00:19:03,875 --> 00:19:05,243
in the months before
419
00:19:05,276 --> 00:19:08,580
practicing specific tactics
420
00:19:08,613 --> 00:19:10,115
that were then used on the day,
421
00:19:10,148 --> 00:19:13,652
blowing up fences,
paragliding, and so on.
422
00:19:13,685 --> 00:19:16,655
Did Israel not see this?
423
00:19:18,823 --> 00:19:21,927
>> I mean, we're looking at
what exactly transpired
424
00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,596
before the 7th of October,
425
00:19:24,629 --> 00:19:27,699
and there will be a time
when the IDF will be
426
00:19:27,732 --> 00:19:30,435
doing that soul searching
that is required,
427
00:19:30,468 --> 00:19:32,637
and the IDF will review that,
428
00:19:32,670 --> 00:19:34,673
and those that need
to take responsibility
429
00:19:34,706 --> 00:19:36,808
will have to take
responsibility.
430
00:19:36,841 --> 00:19:39,578
>> SWAINE: What do
you think October 7 says
431
00:19:39,611 --> 00:19:42,380
about the integrity
of that barrier?
432
00:19:42,413 --> 00:19:44,583
>> So, the barrier itself
is a concept
433
00:19:44,616 --> 00:19:46,685
that was perceived to be
434
00:19:46,718 --> 00:19:49,287
a strong line of defense.
435
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,057
And any line of defense
can only withhold
436
00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:54,125
a certain amount of pressure.
437
00:19:54,158 --> 00:19:55,560
I think the question is
438
00:19:55,593 --> 00:19:57,462
not necessarily
what is the barrier,
439
00:19:57,495 --> 00:19:59,197
but what was
the threat assessment?
440
00:19:59,230 --> 00:20:00,265
And these are
the types of questions
441
00:20:00,298 --> 00:20:01,700
that we will be asking.
442
00:20:01,733 --> 00:20:03,668
These are the
types of questions that,
443
00:20:03,701 --> 00:20:05,403
that the answers to
the residents
444
00:20:05,436 --> 00:20:07,038
of those towns
of the Kibbutzim,
445
00:20:07,071 --> 00:20:09,941
we owe them...
446
00:20:09,974 --> 00:20:13,144
clarification, and, and...
447
00:20:13,177 --> 00:20:15,247
accountability for
448
00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:16,881
the failure of not the fence,
449
00:20:16,914 --> 00:20:19,084
but the whole concept
of operations.
450
00:20:19,117 --> 00:20:21,019
And this, I think, is
451
00:20:21,052 --> 00:20:23,221
what the IDF
will be looking into
452
00:20:23,254 --> 00:20:25,624
when we... when the war is over.
453
00:20:26,691 --> 00:20:29,761
♪ ♪
454
00:20:29,794 --> 00:20:31,997
(Hamas fighters
speaking indistinctly)
455
00:20:32,030 --> 00:20:33,932
>> SWAINE:
The Hamas fighters
456
00:20:33,965 --> 00:20:35,333
that broke through
the fence that morning
457
00:20:35,366 --> 00:20:37,102
were bound
for the military bases
458
00:20:37,135 --> 00:20:38,803
and communities
along the border.
459
00:20:38,836 --> 00:20:40,272
(gunfire)
460
00:20:40,305 --> 00:20:45,110
♪ ♪
461
00:20:45,143 --> 00:20:47,879
One group headed for
Kibbutz Erez,
462
00:20:47,912 --> 00:20:49,447
where Ben Sadan
463
00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:50,682
and the rest
of his security team
464
00:20:50,715 --> 00:20:51,984
had already armed themselves.
465
00:20:53,151 --> 00:20:55,621
And watched with dismay
as the fighters kept coming.
466
00:20:56,921 --> 00:20:59,191
>> (speaking Hebrew):
467
00:21:04,195 --> 00:21:05,330
>> SWAINE:
And they're carrying weapons?
468
00:21:08,399 --> 00:21:10,002
>> SWAINE: What kinds of things
are they carrying?
469
00:21:20,912 --> 00:21:23,615
>> SWAINE:
How many of them were there,
470
00:21:23,648 --> 00:21:25,517
and how many of your men
were there?
471
00:21:41,933 --> 00:21:44,536
>> SWAINE: He told me the combat
lasted for three hours.
472
00:21:45,837 --> 00:21:47,572
After these
few hours of fighting,
473
00:21:47,605 --> 00:21:49,775
what happened next?
474
00:22:07,792 --> 00:22:10,662
♪ ♪
475
00:22:10,695 --> 00:22:12,530
>> SWAINE: Sadah
and his team had avoided
476
00:22:12,563 --> 00:22:13,798
the potential massacre.
477
00:22:13,831 --> 00:22:15,934
>> Breaking news out of
Israel...
478
00:22:15,967 --> 00:22:17,602
>> Chaos erupting in Israel...
479
00:22:17,635 --> 00:22:19,337
>> SWAINE: But other
communities were overrun.
480
00:22:19,370 --> 00:22:22,807
>> Hamas militants currently
attacking citizens...
481
00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:24,042
>> Shooting at
people on the streets,
482
00:22:24,075 --> 00:22:25,043
attacking troops...
483
00:22:25,076 --> 00:22:26,544
>> SWAINE: At 7:01,
484
00:22:26,577 --> 00:22:28,012
the first Hamas gunmen
485
00:22:28,045 --> 00:22:29,848
broke through the gate
at Kfar Aza.
486
00:22:29,881 --> 00:22:32,050
>> We are in kibbutz Kfar Aza.
487
00:22:32,083 --> 00:22:33,118
>> SWAINE:
More than 250 others would
488
00:22:33,151 --> 00:22:35,320
follow throughout the morning.
489
00:22:35,353 --> 00:22:36,388
>> You can see this massacre.
490
00:22:36,421 --> 00:22:37,922
It smells of death here.
491
00:22:37,955 --> 00:22:41,393
♪ ♪
492
00:22:42,627 --> 00:22:44,963
>> SWAINE: Some of
the fighters wore body cameras,
493
00:22:44,996 --> 00:22:46,765
and the videos recovered later
494
00:22:46,798 --> 00:22:48,366
show the rampage
through the kibbutz.
495
00:22:48,399 --> 00:22:50,268
>> (speaking Arabic)
496
00:22:52,770 --> 00:22:55,474
(distant weapons firing)
497
00:22:59,110 --> 00:23:02,114
♪ ♪
498
00:23:07,985 --> 00:23:09,754
>> So this is my place.
>> SWAINE: Yeah.
499
00:23:09,787 --> 00:23:10,755
(debris crunching)
500
00:23:10,788 --> 00:23:12,924
>> What's left of my house.
501
00:23:12,957 --> 00:23:16,194
I don't have a roof, and look,
502
00:23:16,227 --> 00:23:18,930
everything is black and...
503
00:23:18,963 --> 00:23:20,498
and burned.
504
00:23:20,531 --> 00:23:22,834
>> SWAINE: Yuri Levin
witnessed the violence that day,
505
00:23:22,867 --> 00:23:24,669
and told me
he'd barely escaped
506
00:23:24,702 --> 00:23:25,970
being kidnapped
and taken to Gaza--
507
00:23:26,003 --> 00:23:28,840
a fate that befell
many of his neighbors.
508
00:23:30,475 --> 00:23:32,043
>> He is kidnapped.
509
00:23:32,076 --> 00:23:33,311
He is also kidnapped.
510
00:23:33,344 --> 00:23:34,546
>> SWAINE: And these are
all friends of yours?
511
00:23:34,579 --> 00:23:36,214
You knew everyone?
>> They kidnapped.
512
00:23:38,349 --> 00:23:40,118
>> She kidnapped.
513
00:23:40,151 --> 00:23:41,520
He is murdered.
514
00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,222
He is also kidnapped.
515
00:23:46,457 --> 00:23:48,059
Murdered, and two of them
516
00:23:48,092 --> 00:23:49,427
kidnapped, I think.
>> SWAINE: Yeah.
517
00:23:49,460 --> 00:23:50,829
>> Yes, now I think I know.
518
00:23:50,862 --> 00:23:51,996
And...
519
00:23:52,029 --> 00:23:54,699
This is friends of me.
520
00:23:54,732 --> 00:23:56,034
>> SWAINE: Across the street,
521
00:23:56,067 --> 00:23:58,002
a group of his friends
were returning home
522
00:23:58,035 --> 00:23:59,905
for the first time
since the attack.
523
00:24:01,239 --> 00:24:04,509
(crying, heart beating)
524
00:24:09,747 --> 00:24:13,618
(crying, heart beating
continues)
525
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:17,989
>> (exhales)
526
00:24:21,893 --> 00:24:23,094
>> YURI (speaking Hebrew):
527
00:24:26,631 --> 00:24:27,899
>> INBAR (speaking Hebrew):
528
00:24:27,932 --> 00:24:29,901
>> ADI (speaking Hebrew):
529
00:24:32,103 --> 00:24:33,705
>> INBAR:
530
00:25:04,101 --> 00:25:06,771
>> (speaking Hebrew):
531
00:25:20,351 --> 00:25:23,922
♪ ♪
532
00:25:26,757 --> 00:25:28,326
>> SWAINE: Israel,
can you tell me about
533
00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:30,061
who these people are
in the pictures?
534
00:25:30,094 --> 00:25:31,229
>> These pictures?
535
00:25:31,262 --> 00:25:32,430
>> SWAINE: Mm.
536
00:25:32,463 --> 00:25:34,299
>> This is our village team.
537
00:25:34,332 --> 00:25:35,800
Football team.
538
00:25:35,833 --> 00:25:37,936
They're called...
539
00:25:37,969 --> 00:25:41,205
the fox of the village.
540
00:25:41,238 --> 00:25:42,307
>> SWAINE: The young men?
541
00:25:42,340 --> 00:25:43,741
>> The Kfar Aza village.
542
00:25:43,774 --> 00:25:45,410
Some of them died.
543
00:25:45,443 --> 00:25:46,611
>> SWAINE: Show me.
544
00:25:46,644 --> 00:25:49,814
>> Some of them...
545
00:25:49,847 --> 00:25:51,115
are kidnapped.
546
00:25:51,148 --> 00:25:52,717
He's died.
547
00:25:52,750 --> 00:25:53,751
And...
548
00:25:53,784 --> 00:25:55,487
This is in Gaza.
549
00:25:59,190 --> 00:26:02,694
This, two brothers
are in Gaza.
550
00:26:02,727 --> 00:26:05,730
His parent's house?
551
00:26:05,763 --> 00:26:08,099
>> SWAINE: Gone.
>> It was destroyed.
552
00:26:08,132 --> 00:26:11,669
He's lost his mother
and father,
553
00:26:11,702 --> 00:26:14,472
and his brother.
554
00:26:14,505 --> 00:26:17,542
You know, almost everyone
555
00:26:17,575 --> 00:26:20,912
has a connection
for who's murdered,
556
00:26:20,945 --> 00:26:22,714
who's kidnapped, who's injured.
557
00:26:22,747 --> 00:26:25,684
Everyone from here.
558
00:26:27,051 --> 00:26:28,553
>> SWAINE: It's touched
the whole community.
559
00:26:28,586 --> 00:26:30,355
>> Yeah.
560
00:26:30,388 --> 00:26:35,393
♪ ♪
561
00:27:15,733 --> 00:27:19,671
Captioned by Media Access Group
at WGBH access.wgbh.org.
562
00:27:23,340 --> 00:27:25,710
>> For more on this and other
Frontline programs visit our
563
00:27:25,743 --> 00:27:28,846
website at pbs.org/frontline.
564
00:27:28,879 --> 00:27:30,882
♪ ♪
565
00:27:45,329 --> 00:27:48,599
Frontline's "Netanyahu, America
& the Road to War in Gaza" and
566
00:27:48,632 --> 00:27:49,434
"Failure at the Fence"
567
00:27:49,467 --> 00:27:49,901
are available on
Amazon Prime Video.41226
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