MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. The recent attack on Israel by Gaza-based fighters of radical Palestinian group Hamas represented a glaring failure for Israeli intelligence, State Duma (lower house of parliament) Defense Committee Chairman Andrey Kartapolov told the Soloviev Live TV show.

"Of course, that was a major failure on the part of both Israeli intelligence and the entire security system. Therefore, the West in general and Israel in particular need a situation where they can present [this failure] as a victory. And they will later present this reckless bombing of the Gaza Strip as a victory," the senior Russian legislator said.

According to Kartapolov, Israel was caught off guard as it had long relied complacently on its technological prowess, whereas the Palestinian militant group Hamas had clearly been closely analyzing recent military conflicts as it plotted the operation. "[Hamas] conducted it as efficiently as possible, especially in the first few days. For not only did they take lots of people hostage there, they also captured very valuable military personnel, and they seized equipment, codes, communications devices; they took a lot there. Although everybody has been happily mum about that, this is the fact of the matter," he added.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. According to the latest official data, 950 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 5,000 others have suffered wounds. In Israel, more than 1,200 people have lost their lives and more than 2,900 have been wounded.

Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. In response, Israel has declared a state of war readiness and announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip.