Gaza war: Israeli intel warned of Hamas plans weeks before October 7 attack – report
- Hamas’ plans were set out in a document distributed within the Gaza Division of the IDF on September 19, according to Israel’s national broadcaster
An Israeli intelligence brief prepared weeks before Hamas’s October 7 attack had warned military officials of the Palestinian group’s preparations for an assault, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
Plans to attack military bases and settlements and to take up to 250 hostages, including women and children, were set out in a document distributed within the Gaza Division of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on September 19, the Kan report said.
The report came from the highly regarded Unit 8200, an IDF unit responsible for collecting intelligence, but had apparently been ignored by senior officers.
The unprecedented Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of roughly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli official figures.
Militants also took 251 people hostage, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 41 the army says are dead.
The worst-case scenario being considered was that a few dozen terrorists could enter Israel at three points.