Israeli Military Intelligence Knew of Hamas' Plan Before October 7 Attack
In a significant revelation, Israeli military intelligence was aware of a planned Hamas attack aimed at taking several hundred hostages in Israel shortly before it occurred on October 7. Reports from Unit 8200, responsible for eavesdropping, detailed the training exercises of elite Hamas units. According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, a memo was written on September 19, outlining the movement's plans to raid military positions and kibbutzim in southern Israel, targeting '200 to 250 hostages.'
Intelligence used by the military's Southern Command, which handles Gaza, included specific references to the planned kidnappings. The document titled 'Detailed raid training from end to end,' described the rigorous training sessions conducted by Hamas, which included raiding military outposts, kidnapping soldiers and civilians, and instructions for holding them in captivity.
Document and Investigation Reveal Intelligence Oversight
Despite having detailed information, security officials within the Southern Command and Gaza Division reportedly neglected urgent warnings. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel followed the training, noting Hamas' efforts to infiltrate through various methods, including breaking into mock IDF outposts. Four Hamas companies rehearsed steps such as breaking into Israeli territory, taking over outposts, and capturing soldiers.
The IDF's intelligence outlined extreme scenarios for dealing with the abductees and anticipated that Hamas intended to capture between 200 and 250 personnel, including women and children. However, the security officials' concept underestimating the risk seemingly contributed to the failure in preventing the mass hostage-taking.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refrained from initiating an official inquiry into the October 7 events until the ongoing war in Gaza concludes. Meanwhile, the investigation by military officials aims to draw necessary lessons, with findings to be presented publicly with transparency.
- The security forces were confident about the newly constructed smart security barrier, integrated with sophisticated technological systems, completed two years before the Hamas attack. Despite this, the barrier did not prevent the infiltration.
- Criticism is mounting over the failure to act upon the intelligence provided by Unit 8200. Senior officials in the Gaza Division and security establishment are accused of not taking the threat seriously, which might have avoided the crisis.
- The IDF's General Staff investigation team is set to present initial findings to the Chief of Staff in the forthcoming weeks. These are expected to shed light on the oversight and lapses in addressing the threats posed by Hamas.
