Israel at War: What happened on Day 55?

A bombshell report by the New York Times claims that Israeli officials had a detailed, approximately 40-page document outlining "point by point" the plans for a Hamas attack on Israeli soil, but dismissed the plan as aspirational and beyond the group's capacities.

The document, which authorities codenamed "Jericho Wall," is reported to have outlined "a methodical assault" in which drones would attack Israel's surveillance system as terrorists entered the country on foot and using paragliders and motorcycles under the cover of a barrage of rockets.

The document is also said to have included the locations and sizes of IDF forces in the area, and specifically stated as an objective to overwhelm the military base in Re'im, the site of the nature party on October 7 that was targeted early in the attack. At the top of the document was a quotation from the Qur'an: "Surprise them through the gate. If you do, you will certainly prevail." 

The plans "circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders," the report says. The IDF's Gaza division wrote an assessment of it, reporting plans for "a new raid, unprecedented in its scope," but concluding that the plans were a "compass," detailing Hamas's ambitions for the future, rather than an immediate plan of action. 

Pictures of the participants of the Nova party who were murdered and kidnapped by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023 are displayed at the site of the Nova music festival massacre, in Re'im, near the Israeli-Gaza border, November 28, 2023 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Colonel called the plans "totally imaginative," said to "wait patiently"

Then, in July 2023, the IDF's signal intelligence division, Unit 8200, reported that Hamas had been spotted conducting training exercises that mirrored the blueprint in "Jericho Wall," including exercises to simulate shooting down Israeli airplanes, occupying a kibbutz, and overrunning a military base.

During the exercise, Hamas terrorists used the same quotation from the Quran that appeared at the top of the "Jericho Wall" document. The Unit 8200 analyst who wrote the report warned that Hamas was building the capacity to put the plan into action, and that the exercises Hamas was engaged in closely reflected what was outlined in the document. 

The colonel who received the report apparently called the exercise "totally imaginative," saying, "in short, let's wait patiently."  

An internal debate followed, with others endorsing the analyst's warning. One even invoked the example of the Yom Kippur War, writing "We already underwent a similar experience 50 years ago on the southern front in connection with a scenario that seemed imaginary, and history may repeat itself if we are not careful."

That comparison has been ubiquitous in Israel since the first moments of the attack. 

A previous warning, also unheeded

"Jericho Wall" was not the first intelligence that had prompted such a debate, the Times reports. In September 2016, the Ministry of Defense prepared a top-secret memo, signed by then-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, warning of an invasion and hostage-taking operation by Hamas.

The memo outlined Hamas's purchases of drones, GPS jammers, and other sophisticated weaponry. It also reported that Hamas had swelled its fighting force by 6,000 men in two years, and aimed to grow it from 27,000 to 40,000 by 2020.

The victims of the shooting attack which took place at the entrance to Jerusalem on Thursday morning have been named as Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, 73, Chana Ifergan, 64, and Livia Dickman, 24.

Wasserman served as a judge (dayan) in the rabbinical court in Ashdod, according to Religious Services Minister Michael Malchieli. 

Ifergan served as the principal of the Beis Yaakov Bnot Hadassah school in Beit Shemesh.

Dickman was a resident of the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem.

The attack on Thursday morning in Jerusalem is a reminder of the serious threat of illegal weapons in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. There are small arms and rifles in the hands of terrorists. The attack on Thursday morning took place at the same bus stop at the entrance to the city as the November 2022 bombing attack.

Video from the attack shows terrorists exiting a car and shooting people, before they were quickly neutralized. The quick response of a soldier who was returning to his unit, and also an armed civilian and others, saved lives. The bodies of the terrorists could be seen in photos and video. One showed an M-16 style rifle next one of the men. The video appears to show the other terrorists using a pistol.

Rocket sirens sounded in northern Israel on Thursday morning, warning first of unidentified aircraft in the area and then of rocket fire. 

This is a developing story.

Ofir Tzarfati, one of the Israelis kidnapped by Hamas from the party in Reim, was killed in captivity, Tzarfati's family was informed on Thursday.

The Kiryat Ata Municipality, where Tzarfati was from, expressed its condolences to the family.

Thursday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem further exemplifies why handing out guns is important, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed at the scene shortly after the attack.

"Despite the criticism from various people, I will continue with my policy of distributing weapons everywhere, both to emergency response teams and civilians," he said. "Guns save lives. We see it time after time. In every place where there's a weapon, civilians, police officers, and soldiers save lives."

The two terrorists who carried out the deadly attack in Jerusalem on Thursday morning were identified as brothers from east Jerusalem who have known associations with Hamas, according to a Shin Bet statement. 

They were both imprisoned for terrorist activities in the past. 

"We are at war on all fronts," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday in response to the deadly terror attack that took place in Jerusalem. "This attack reminds us that our enemies are not only the Nazis in Gaza."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived at the scene of the attack and emphasized the importance of arming civilians to protect against terrorists. 

Three people were killed and six other people were wounded in a shooting attack at the entrance to Jerusalem on Thursday morning, according to emergency services.

A 24-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man were killed in the attack, while one other was in critical condition, three others were seriously wounded, and three others were in light to moderate condition.

Israel and Hamas agreed that the Gaza war would be on hold for another 24 hours and that another eight captives would be freed on Thursday night, bringing the total of Israeli captives released since last week to 81.

“The War Cabinet unanimously decided last night that if a list [of ten captives] is not delivered by seven o'clock this morning as agreed upon in the outline - fighting will be resumed immediately,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.