What is the need for all this armchair analysis of 'optics'? They should have thought about simple things like what if they blow up electric and water lines. Trust me, without electricity and water, population can be greatly hurt in a desert.All these are known well to us and more so to Hamas leadership.
While planning this operation they should have also worked on the optics of it. In this connected world, optics and public opinion can be as lethal and effective as a nuclear device. The impact is seen without the actual blast like a nuclear device.
This kind of attack is unlikely to be replicated for foreseeable future and would remain the only sight and sound for some time. Same visuals would be rotated again and again.
They could have changed the optics completely in their favour.
Which they didn’t.