아프리카ㆍ중동

Deception is an important element in many conflicts. However, its role in asymmetric warfare has some unique characteristics. The 35-year-old ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is a perfect example of asymmetry. Israel is a country with significantly greater and better military, technological, and intelligence capabilities than Hamas, who aspire to reduce these capabilities by striking at Israel’s weak points. Throughout the years of conflict between the two sides, there have been deception activities on both sides, some of which have been revealed to the general public. An analysis of central deception campaigns carried out within the conflict, based on varied sources in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, shed light on the role of deception and the necessary intelligence in asymmetric conflict in general and specifically in cases conflicts between states and violent nonstate actors.