Israel-Hamas War: What happened on Day 143?

Dozens to hundreds of Hamas members activated Israeli SIM cards in the early morning hours of October 7, just before the massacre began, Israeli censorship cleared for publication on Monday – four months later. IDF intelligence and the Shin Bet noted the activity in real time.

This could have very well been an indication of a potential invasion. Despite the evidence however, the overall approach at the time was that Hamas would not dare try invading, because Israel’s technology would give prior warning, and any invaders would be killed by overwhelming Israeli air power and reinforcement forces, which would arrive in time to stop an invasion, and also because an Israeli counterattack would be devastating.

Initially, on Monday, the IDF would not give a substantive response to this disclosure, other than to say that the issue is under review, along with many others. An interim report on IDF tactical failures is due in May-June.

Later in the afternoon, the IDF and the Shin Bet said that “the publication that 1,000 Israeli SIM cards were activated at the same time is false and far from what happened. In actuality, signs were received that suggested, among other things, that dozens of SIM cards which had been activated during previous incidents, were activated. Based on this, the defense apparatus prepared and undertook intelligence and operational actions in the field.”

Signs were received prior to October 7

They added that “as has been previously published, on the eve before October 7, signs were received, resulting in a situation assessment meeting, after which decisions were made. The signs were based on a diversity of tools and capabilities, including technological tools whose operations cannot be published.”

Sderot following the Oct. 7 attack (credit: Seth Frantzman)

The two bodies also requested that the intelligence methods used by Israel should not be revealed in a way that would harm forces’ continued use of those capabilities, including during the war.

The Jerusalem Post has pressed sources on whether the number of Israeli SIM cards activated was dozens or hundreds. Neither side was able to independently verify which.

There were hints that there was more than one round of SIMs being switched on, such that possibly at one stage there were dozens, and at a later stage, hundreds.

For months, the Post and other outlets have known that the IDF and the Shin Bet received signs of danger from Hamas, signs that led to two middle-of-the-night security meetings the night before the invasion, one around midnight, the other at around 3:00 a.m.

There are differing accounts regarding what was and was not told to IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi at the time. The main narrative is that he was not told about the SIMs issue specifically, but more broadly that the IDF and Shin Bet considered it part of a drill.

At most, the Israeli intelligence agencies thought there might be an attempt for a small kidnapping of a small group of border patrol soldiers. To prevent this, the Shin Bet sent a small but highly trained squad to the border.

This squad ended up in the middle of the invasion; the Shin Bet lost more of its combat fighters on October 7 than it has in any other single operation in years.

The SIM story was kept under wraps until Channel 14 revealed the story on Sunday night. The military censor said this was a violation. But once Channel 14 put the information out, media outlets independently confirmed the reports.

Meanwhile, retired IDF general Israel Ziv is threatening to sue channel Channel 14 for allegedly misquoting him. Channel 14 said Ziv was the basis for revealing the SIM story, and claimed he said that Halevi had not informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue. Ziv said he never said anything at all about Halevi, Netanyahu, or the SIM issue.

Hezbollah downed an Israeli Hermes 450 ‘Zik’ drone on February 26 using a surface-to-air missile, pro-Hezbollah media reported. The IDF said that a “UAV fell inside Lebanese territory” after two surface-to-air missiles were fired. The IDF then said it was “currently striking Hezbollah terror targets deep inside Lebanon.”

The use of surface-to-air missiles or SAMs to target Israeli drones is not new. Hezbollah has done this in the past. However, it has not downed many Israeli drones in the past. Targeting a Zik drone successfully is an escalation in the North. This comes directly after Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the North and vowed to continue to strike Hezbollah until it withdraws from the border.

Israeli officials headed on Monday to Qatar, where Hamas has its political office, to work on terms of a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, a source told Reuters, a step towards nailing down a ceasefire which Washington says is now close.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed to CBS on Sunday that a deal would delay any military operation in Rafah.

Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz told judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday that Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is the root cause of conflict in the region.

On the final day of public hearings in a case examining the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, Yildiz also addressed Hamas's October 7 attacks against Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and Israel's military response that has since killed over 29,000 Palestinians, according to figures from Gaza's Hamas-governed Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The IDF struck Hezbollah terror targets deep inside Lebanon on Monday afternoon, the military announced. 

At least two simultaneous strikes hit around Lebanon's city of Baalbek, two security sources told Reuters, in the first bombardment of eastern Lebanon since regional hostilities erupted following the start of the war in Gaza.

Two Hezbollah operatives were killed in that attack, security sources told Reuters.

Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel's longest serving prime minister, with a total of 16 years of in office. In addition, he served as finance minister, defense minister, foreign minister, communications minister, and in other oists, some of them overlapping with his tenure as prime minister.

On May 24, 2020, Netanyahu's trial began in the Jerusalem District Court after indictments were filed against him for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Thus, Netanyahu became the only Israeli prime minister to be indicted and stand trial for criminal offenses during his tenure.

Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Monday it had shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over Lebanese territory with a surface-to-air missile, the second time it has announced a downing of this type of unmanned aerial vehicle.

The Hermes 450 is a multi-payload drone made by Elbit Systems, an Israel-based weapons manufacturer.

The Israeli military said on Monday that two missile launches had targeted an Israeli Air Force UAV operating over Lebanon. The first, it said, was intercepted by Israel's "David's Sling" Aerial Defense System but the drone "fell inside Lebanese territory" after a second launch.

IDF troops killed over 30 terrorists in the past day as activities in Zaytun in northern Gaza continued, the IDF Spokesperson Unit reported. 

Concurrently, IDF forces are intensifying their activities in the area of Khan Yunis.

As a part of IDF operations in Zaytun in the northern Gaza Strip, IDF troops killed approximately 30 terrorists who operated in close proximity to IDF soldiers with assistance from the Israeli Air Force. 

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum announced that the families of the hostages are inviting the public to a "giant march" that will last four days from the Gaza border to Jerusalem, Ynet reported.

This march will occur amid ongoing hostage negotiations. The march will begin on Wednesday from the Re'im parking lot, and pass through Sderot, where the families will hold a ceremony near the police station in the city.

Then, the march will continue to Kiryat Gat, Beit Guvrin, and Beit Shemesh. The march will end on Saturday in Jerusalem. The forum said that "the return of the hostages is the national duty of the entire people of Israel."

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored how the UN Security Council had failed to respond adequately to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying the conflicts had "perhaps fatally" undermined its authority.

Speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Guterres said the UN Security Council often found itself deadlocked and "unable to act on the most significant peace and security issues of our time."