Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar delivered a message to senior Israeli officials weeks before October 7, according to a report by N12's diplomatic correspondent Yaron Avraham.
Weeks before October 7, Sinwar sent a message intended to reach Israel, signaling potential unrest in prisons and issues related to hostages. The assessment suggested that the message wasn't a warning about prison riots but focused on the hostages and missing persons.
The message was classified as "sensitive" and was shared only with a select few within the political and security ranks. The entire security apparatus, including the Shin Bet, IDF, and Mossad, held several discussions on the matter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were informed and appeared to participate actively in these discussions.
Sinwar's message hinted at developments concerning hostages
It was believed that Sinwar's message hinted at developments concerning hostages and missing persons rather than an impending attack. The prevailing thought was that Sinwar aimed to address the case of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli researcher kidnapped in Iraq, and would demand the release of numerous terrorists in exchange for her release.
Due to the sensitivity of the information, this message was accessible only to a very limited circle and classified at a high level. Not all senior officials in the IDF and military intelligence had access to this intelligence, so they couldn't connect this warning from Sinwar to other possible indicators.
The reason behind Sinwar's message remains unclear, and even intelligence materials captured after October 7 don't provide a definitive answer. Some believe Sinwar was managing both channels simultaneously: planning the October 7 attack while trying to maximize negotiations. During that period, negotiations were ongoing concerning Hadar Goldin, Oron Shaul, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed.
Other sources suggest another possibility, though almost implausible that Sinwar sent the secret message due to disagreements with Mohammed Deif about the timing of the attack. This implies that Sinwar might have been trying to prompt Israel to take actions that would delay the planned Hamas attack, possibly to achieve better coordination with Hezbollah.