Hamas Planned Historic Assault on Israel for More Than a Year, Intelligence Officers Say

Hamas carefully planned and executed its historic assault on Israel, according to Israeli military intelligence. The attack involved detailed battle plans, specific coordinates, and varied methods of infiltration into Israel. The militants who stormed Israel’s border fence were armed with instructions, maps, weapons and equipment and even information on killing and capturing hostages. Israeli intelligence officers revealed that Hamas spent more than a year planning its large-scale attack, yet willfully overlooked repeated warnings and continued to carry on with life as usual on the fated day of the attack. The result was a devastating and lethal operation. Heated discussions are now ongoing about the extent of Israel’s intelligence failure regarding Hamas, with particular attention being drawn to the failure to act on multiple warnings about the impending attack and the decision to hold a music festival mere miles from the Gaza border. Meanwhile, attention has also shifted to possible motivations behind Hamas’ attack as well as the future of Israeli security measures. Israeli authorities have confirmed that Hezbollah, usually deemed a much greater threat due to their northward presence, managed to overshadow warnings from their southern border and contributed to a major lapse in security. This largely points to a dramatic underestimation of the Hamas threat by Israel and its allies over the years. In light of this intelligence failure, the Israeli population and the victims of the attack are seeking answers, regretting the complacency of the Israeli administration which cost the lives of so many.