While the images of several thousand rockets sectoring the sky has become familiar over the years during the periodic upticks in fighting around Gaza, the footage of Hamas assault teams moving through the streets in communities such as Sderot, blowing the gates off a kibbutz and firing on passing cars and pedestrians, showed scenes not witnessed by most Israelis, for whom short-lived attacks in cities have become a fact of life.

In one instance, a Gaza television journalist delivered a standup report about one attack from inside Israel, an almost unthinkable moment. Gunmen kidnapped and murdered Israelis in the southern border communities, filming their assault as they advanced in numerous locations.