This Year in Explainers: Why did Israel's intelligence agencies fail on 7 October?

For those that follow international news, it’s been quite a gripping year. Israel witnessed one of the worst attacks by Hamas in its history as its security agencies utterly failed. The story of five men aboard a Titanic submersible that went missing on an underwater expedition gripped the world. Henry Kissinger, the diplomatic titan and architect of many of the United States’ most controversial policies, passed away at age 100. In Silicon Valley, the firm thought to be on the cutting edge technology and the man that has become the face of Artificial Intelligence, saw an incredible shake-up. China under Xi Jinping saw yet another shakeup with several high-profile ministers removed from the cabinet – perhaps none more than Qin Ming. The rumours around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship continued to do the rounds. All this and much more in our yearly roundup of explainers: 1. Israel’s intelligence failure Israel’s intelligence agencies are known the world over. And yet, on 7 October, all of them – from the famed Mossad to Shin Bet – failed uniformly and spectacularly.

Why did it happen? How could it have happened?

Even as the war between Israel and Hamas continues to rage, questions are being asked. This piece examines the three major security agencies of Israel , when they were formed, what they do and how experts think this catastrophe occurred. 2. Israel’s use of SPICE bombs Israel responded to Hamas’ attack by, among other things, bombing Gaza mercilessly and ceaselessly. Indeed, social media has been flooded with horrific videos of the injured and the dead. Lately, Israel’s use of Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective (SPICE) bombs in densely-packed areas have come in for much criticism. [caption id=“attachment_13477862” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The SPICE 100 bomb. Image courtesy: www.rafael.co.il[/caption] But what are these SPICE bombs exactly ? How do they work? How accurate are they? And why have experts expressed such worry about their use? This article gives you the low down. 3. Osama Bin Laden’s 21-year-old letter TikTok Every generation laments the follies of the next. This has been true since time immemorial. And yet, this time the older generations might have a point. This year, a letter written by Osama Bin Laden a year after the 9/11 attacks went viral on social media. This came amid the Israel-Hamas conflict and the US’ unflinching support of Tel Aviv.

Even worse, many of the youths actually endorsed Bin Laden’s sentiments in the letter.

This piece takes a look at the letter , the context it was written in, how and why it resurfaced and why young Americans came out in support of it. 4. The tragedy of the Titan Five Arguably no story gripped the world this year more than the Titanic tourist sub and the five men aboard it. From the time the submersible went missing just hours after it set off on its journey to the moment the coast guard declared they had found the wreckage on the ocean floor, the world prayed for OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, French maritime and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. This article examines the lives of the men who came to be known as the Titan Five and how they came to board the submersible that fateful day. 5. Death of a complicated icon In November, Henry Kissinger passed away at age 100. Till the end, Kissinger remained much revered in many Washington policy circles and among the US political chattering class. [caption id=“attachment_13527272” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize died on 29 November 2023. AP[/caption] However, the rest of the world held a far more complicated – and dare we say it – negative view of the man. This article examines Kissinger’s legacy, his tumultuous relationship with India , and his ultimate U-turn on the Indian people and its leaders. 6. High drama in Silicon Valley In Silicon Valley, Open AI is said to be the place to be if you want to work be on the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence. Meanwhile, Sam Altman is known as the world’s leading AI evangelist. Which is why Altman’s sacking – for nebulous reasons given by the Open AI board – sent a cold shiver through many in the tech community. But what happened exactly? How was the coup de état plotted behind the scenes? And how did Altman make an improbable comeback? This piece gives you the blow-by-blow account of six incredible days at Open AI. 7. Harry-Meghan rumours and royal divorces The year was a difficult one for the Royal Family – in particular Harry and Meghan. From the release of Harry’s memoir Spare to multiple racism allegations including the row over the so-called ‘royal racists’ being named, the royals will be glad to put 2023 behind them. Rumours that the couple – who relocated to America and away from the rest of their blue-blooded brethren – and now have two children together have simply refused to die down. But history shows royalty and happy marriages don’t go hand-in-hand. This article takes a look at the long, sad history of royal couples who called it quits. 8. Panda come home! Panda diplomacy has long been a valuable tool in China’s diplomatic arsenal. Some say experts say China’s practice of lending countries adorable furballs goes back as far as the 7th Century. [caption id=“attachment_13178802” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Visitors take photos of giant panda Mei Xiang eating bamboo. Reuters File[/caption] But why did Beijing begin this practice in the first place? What’s the logic behind it? How do the practicalities of ‘lending a panda’ from China actually work? And what does it cost? This piece gives you all the details you need to know. 9. Giant hole in the Sun What’s up with the Sun? The giant ball of fire in the skies has been busy, busy, busy this year as it approaches the solar maximum – its 11-year solar cycle. The Sun has a number of flare-ups, storms and has ejected plasma and other phenomenon at the Earth. [caption id=“attachment_13474092” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A giant hole has emerged in the atmosphere of the Sun and it has resulted in a solar storm. Image courtesy: NOAASatellites/X[/caption] But perhaps no incident alarmed experts more than news that a giant hole appeared in the Sun – a gap bigger than 60 Earths! So, what do we know about the hole in the Sun? How did it appear and why? Did it have an impact on our planet? This piece gives you all the details. If you’ve been too busy to keep an eye on the news lately, this list will come in handy in catching you up. Watch  _this space_  for more.