"Iron Swords" A Military Analysis of Israel's War in Gaza

This study adopts a feedback approach (RETEX) which consists of analyzing the strategic and tactical choices made by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and their results from a military perspective, without judging their moral or political legitimacy. This approach allows us to understand the military rationale behind this operation while shedding light on the strategic impasses.

Prior to Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood,” Israel had developed a “bunkerization” strategy based on a land, air, and sea blockade of Gaza. Since withdrawing from the enclave in 2005, Israeli operations had alternated between air strikes and occasional incursions, without succeeding in eradicating Hamas. The construction in 2014 and modernization in 2021 of the security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip reinforced this sense of security for the IDF, fueled by their confidence in their technological superiority.

Israeli strategic culture, marked by the idea of an existential threat, has historically favored an offensive approach in the form of preemptive strikes. However, it has shifted toward a defensive posture, relying on the use of air power in targeted bombing campaigns rather than ground offensives.

The IDF, organized around a small professional core and a massive reserve, is a powerful and innovative army but limited in endurance. In response, Hamas consolidated its armed wing and established itself as a hybrid actor, combining military actions with political objectives. The October 7 attack took advantage of a political context in Israel that was deeply divided by the judicial reform crisis, diverting attention away from Gaza.

Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” was a tactical success due to its speed of execution. On the morning of October 7, 2023, nearly 3,800 Hamas commandos breached the border at more than 60 points almost simultaneously, using a variety of rudimentary means such as pickup trucks, motorcycles, paragliders, and boats. They neutralized sensors and communications with drones and bulldozers, attacked Israeli bases and localities, and captured 251 Israelis, who were held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli response, in the form of Operation Iron Swords, was then deployed in several phases: general mobilization, conquest of northern Gaza, offensive on Khan Yunis, and then capture of Rafah. This methodical advance from north to south was supported by massive air strikes and intense bombardments, causing unprecedented lethality and destruction.

Analyzed through the prism of the “factors of operational superiority” of French doctrine, Israel demonstrated great tactical agility and an ability to mobilize its population quickly.

However, its weaknesses became apparent in its lack of understanding of Hamas, its limited endurance, and the deterioration of its international image due to its repeated violations of international law. Diplomatic isolation and mounting accusations of war crimes and genocide, notably by the United Nations Human Rights Council in the summer of 2025, underscore the strategic cost of the campaign.