Report: IDF Ignored Warning of Hamas Attack Weeks Before October 7
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) document circulated internally on September 19 warned of a major Hamas attack on Israel, with plans to take numerous hostages. The document, revealed in a news report Monday by the Kan public broadcaster, was based on intelligence from Unit 8200 and estimated that Hamas aimed to capture 200 to 250 hostages. This prediction was close to the 251 hostages taken during the October 7 attack, which also resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people.
The detailed document described training exercises by Hamas’ elite forces, including drills on raiding Israeli towns and military posts, taking soldiers and civilians hostage, and under what conditions they could be killed. The document noted specific activities, such as companies gathering for prayer and lunch, distributing equipment and weapons, and conducting raid practices.
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Hamas commandos practiced infiltrating mock IDF outposts, simulating bases on the Gaza border, with each company assigned to different outposts. The Nukhba force, an elite Hamas unit, was instructed not to leave documents behind, ensure hostages were without phones, and refrain from informing families of the hostages’ conditions. They were also told to move hostages if their locations were discovered by Israel and to threaten to kill hostages to prevent escape.
Despite this warning, it appears the document was ignored by senior intelligence officials. The most extreme scenario the Gaza Division had prepared for involved dozens of terrorists breaching the border, far less than the estimated 3,000 who infiltrated Israel on October 7.
The IDF, in response to the report, did not acknowledge the document but stated it was investigating the failures leading to the attack and would present findings transparently. This follows other reports suggesting the military had prior warnings of the assault.
