Hamas was able to carry out their extensive October 7 massacre with help from spies within Israel's borders, according to a report by The Guardian. The report alleges that Hamas was able to spend years drawing detailed maps thanks to the help of sources inside Israel, citing an IDF conclusion drawn from data found on phones, notebooks, and documents seized by terrorists.
The report added that Hamas terrorists carried guides to hostage-taking as well as Arabic to Hebrew phrasebooks. One specifically translated phrase was "put your hands up and spread your legs," the British newspaper reported.
The UK-based outlet added that the findings on the plans for the massacre included a map that is more detailed than would be required by the IDF.
“Compiling such a map could only have been done using ‘inside knowledge’ – almost certainly from a Hamas spy,” the report cited an unnamed IDF intelligence source as saying.
These reports point out Israel's misunderstanding of Hamas and the organization's capabilities ahead of October 7.
Observers warned, but were threatened in response
A New York Times report alleges that the IDF retrieved a 40-page "game plan" for Hamas' planned attack but that it was dismissed on the grounds that security forces believed it was beyond the terror organization's bandwidth. Military officials also ignored reports from observers—mostly women—and even threatened to court martial them over their claims.
IDF lookouts who had warned their commanders that they were concerned about the situation along the Gaza border in the months before the October 7 attack were told to stop bothering them and were even threatened with a court-martial, N12 reported last month.
According to a report by Israeli media, the lookouts warned that they had seen unusual training and other actions taking place next to the border, with more and more people suddenly getting near the fence in the months leading up to the attack.
The observers felt that they weren't being heard; one of them decided to go directly to a senior commander in the area and was told "I don't want to hear again about this nonsense. If you all bother us again with these things, you'll be court-martialed."
Data taken from technology (laptops, phones, tablets) and written notebooks detailed plans for a slew of military targets and key points in Israel to attack, well into Israeli territory, The Guardian reported.The report also alleges that the detail and scale of the information found led to the conclusion that Hamas had to have engaged in "years" worth of planning efforts—which it is assumed that Israeli intelligence bodies would have taken more seriously had they known about it.
Hamas terrorists also utilized Israeli SIM cards as well as walkie-talkies for continued communication, according to the report. Recovered items such as a radio transmitter with solar battery capabilities were meant to allow for an extended stay in Israel.