The UN has the responsibility to resolve conflicts. But its failure should not be taken as an opportunity to abet terrorism in the name of freedom

The attack on Israel has an uncanny resemblance with 26/11 and to some extent with 9/11 as well. The use of sea and air to infringe on a sovereign state was on display in both these terrorist attacks, also on display was the planning and coordination of these attacks which is similar to the ones now carried out in Tel Aviv. Is there an external country involved like during the 26/11 attack? Was there a control room established during the raids by Hamas militants in a third country? Training for the attack and its execution has most definitely been supported by some external element. Are there any Iranian or Pakistani elements involved in the attack? All this remains to be seen but one thing is clear the Middle East is in for a big turmoil and it can change how the world looks today very rapidly. This conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip is not likely to remain localised and is sure to have multiple repercussions across a wide spectrum of political, military, economic and diplomatic domains.

Everyone is talking about it as an intelligence failure, sure it is, however it almost becomes impossible to detect an attack if it is planned and executed from another country not exactly involved directly with the conflict. This involvement becomes quite clear if you see this statement from, Iranian state media ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaan "This operation is the spontaneous movement of resistance groups and Palestine's oppressed people in defence of their inalienable rights and their natural reaction to the Zionists' warmongering and provocative policies" he said. Hezbollah and Hamas don't work hand in hand and Hezbollah otherwise is a considerable force to reckon with. This kind of attack could not have been a handiwork of Hamas alone and Hezbollah may have also played a role in this attack. Hizbollah has always been openly supported by Syria and Iran. So this is an attack that has been planned elsewhere and hence very difficult for any intelligence agency to detect itsit's full magnitude beforehand.

Hamas fighters invaded by air, land and sea, penetrating at least four military bases along Israel's border with Gaza. The attack was coordinated and well-planned. Simultaneously drones and warriors with paragliders started targeting the armoured vehicles of the Israeli army. Drones could hit the armoured vehicles and even destroy the armour. Pinpoint attack on armoured vehicles indicates intelligence sharing of a very high degree. Though this is an intelligence failure on the part of Mossad however this points towards well-coordinated asymmetric warfare that has used most modern military technology in a most disruptive way. The conventional warfighting capability of Israel has been put to the test by a much cheaper modern technology driven by hybrid warfare given by an external element. This by no means can be carried out by Hamas in isolation.

Hamas used a form of a small Kamikaze drone or loitering munition, an unmanned aircraft packed with explosives and employed as a miniature cruise missile, this is very deadly. It is no secret that Iran and Turkey have expertise in making various kinds of Kamikaze drones, however, it remains to be seen if these drones were directly given to Hamas by them. Powered paragliders were also used by Hamas for the attack. The air attack was one of the methods used by Hamas as part of their multifaceted strategy to unleash casualties on the Israeli population. Paragliding also requires a considerable amount of training beforehand and Hamas cannot train its fighters in the Gaza Strip. It is also well known that arms, including Fajr-3, Fajr-5, and M302 rockets, used during the attack were made by Iran and Syria. It is also no secret that most of the rockets fired by Hamas are produced in the Gaza Strip but their technology has been provided by Iran. Quassam rockets are most rudimentary, are not target-oriented, have been banned internationally and are produced locally in Gaza. However, the Fajr-5 missile's technology has been supplied by Iran and produced locally by Hamas without needing direct shipment.

The hybrid warfare tactics employed by Hamas may shift the dynamics of conflict globally for it is also a propaganda tool, demonstrating their capabilities and determination to their supporters. This kind of warfare, if encouraged by countries in the Arab world and Middle East, could prove to have disastrous consequences for the entire world. The violent non-state actors have no responsibility and ethics. We have seen that they are not even answerable to the worst kind of human rights violation. It was disgusting to see how civilian women prisoners were being treated by Hamas. Taking women and children hostages can not be acceptable and strangely no one can be held accountable for it. Empowering such elements in the name of religion or otherwise is a recipe for disaster.

Taliban has become a state actor from a non-state actor and the consequences are there for everyone to see. Responsible states must never indulge in sponsorship or support of elements that may not listen to any established norms of dignified human behaviour afterwards. No one would disagree that it's about time the Israel- Palestine conflict saw a resolution. The UN should play a prominent role in the conflict resolution. However, the failure of the UN on this account is not a licence for some countries to support or arm elements that do not believe in International Law.

(The writer is an expert on geopolitics and international Affairs. The views expressed are personal)