Why a ground attack on Gaza by Israeli troops now appears inevitable

Israel’s military has laid out the extent to which troops at the border were caught unaware by the Hamas attack that the IDF says left dozens killed in their beds, writes Kim Sengupta. As Israeli air strikes continue to hit Gaza, a ground offensive is likely to come next

Israeli soldiers in the village of Kfar Aza near the border with Gaza (AP)

Troops at the Gaza border were caught unawares and “slaughtered by the dozens in their beds” by Hamas as 11 military bases were overrun as a result of the lethal and massive Israeli intelligence failure over the raid.

More than 60 soldiers were killed in the first hours of the coordinated assault after drones were used to destroy state-of-the-art surveillance systems, with the numbers expected to rise as identities are established. A police station with communication equipment had to be blown up by Israeli forces after it had been captured by Islamist fighters.

Around an estimated 130 Israelis have been abducted and taken into Gaza by Hamas. The exact numbers are not known, said Major Nir Dinar, an Israeli army officer, due to difficulties with identification.