Israeli Military Intelligence Knew of Hamas Plans Year Before Escalation — Report

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Israel’s military intelligence knew of Hamas’ plans to attack Israel a year before the conflict escalated and reported the information to the Israeli Security Agency, but decision-makers did not take the threat seriously, Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported, citing defense ministry officials.

Israel’s political leaders knew at least some of the intelligence data, but it appears they did not believe Hamas could proceed with the attack plan and breach the border, the officials were cited as saying by the newspaper.

Over a year before Hamas’ massive assault, Israel’s Military Intelligence had detailed information on the plan to breach the Gaza border at dozens of points and attack dozens of communities and army posts, defense officials sayhttps://t.co/ZTd393guZr

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) November 25, 2023

On Friday, the Financial Times newspaper reported that a high-ranking Israeli military intelligence officer had called a detailed warning predicting a Hamas attack on October 7 an “imaginary scenario.”

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and invaded Israeli communities near the border, killing and abducting hundreds.

Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas and rescuing hostages.

The conflict has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,200 people in Israel and over 14,800 in Gaza.