Citing sources in Israel’s military intelligence, Channel 12 TV said on Saturday that the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas first intended to carry out its October 7 attack during the Jewish holiday of Passover, which fell on April 5 this year.
According to troops with the 8200 signal intelligence unit, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) learned of the intended attack after seeing the first indications of Hamas preparations, the broadcaster was informed. The information apparently caused the IDF to raise its state of alert, which caused the Palestinian organisation to renounce the original plan.
The report also stated that the IDF ultimately concluded that the intelligence warnings were a hoax. According to the sources, Hamas prioritised internal security and did not inform the majority of its members about future intentions, such as the delayed incursion that happened on October 7.
Three months prior to the October attack, Israeli media reports state that monitoring units along the Gaza border warned the IDF of “unusual” Hamas training operations. However, their worries were allegedly written off as “fantasies.”
The Financial Times also revealed on Friday, citing sources, that weeks prior to the actual Hamas strike, Israeli border guards had assembled a comprehensive dossier and given it to the southern command’s top intelligence officer. According to the source, the memo included “specific warnings,” or strategies for repeatedly breaching the border and capturing nearby settlements.
When contacted by the Financial Times, the IDF did not affirm or deny the existence of the overlooked intelligence. An anonymous female soldier was previously quoted by the Israeli publication Haaretz as blaming the lack of attention paid to reports from its border sentries on systemic misogyny inside the ranks.
The Hamas strike on October 7 killed over 1,200 Israelis, the majority of them civilians. In response, West Jerusalem launched a ground offensive in Gaza after heavily bombarding the area. Since then, officials in the enclave have stated that the number of Palestinian deaths has exceeded 14,800.
