 "Israeli soldiers next to military vehicles near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in southern Israel photo: reuters")
Less than three weeks before the October 7 attack, a document compiled by the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF's) Gaza Division warned that Hamas was preparing and training for a large-scale invasion of Israel and taking a large number of hostages, Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported on Monday.
The development was also reported by The Times of Israel, which cited the Kan report to say that the document, which was internally circulated on September 19, was apparently ignored despite being brought to the attention of at least some senior intelligence officials.
Citing unnamed security sources, the Kan report said that based on information provided by Israeli Military Intelligence's Unit 8200, the document estimated that the target number of hostages was 200-250.
During the Hamas-led October 7 attack on communities in southern Israel, 251 hostages were taken and 1,200 people were killed.
What did the document say?
Titled "Detailed raid training from end to end", the document reportedly described a series of exercises by Hamas' elite forces, who trained for raids on Israeli towns and military posts, on how to hold civilians and soldiers hostage once back inside Gaza, and under what circumstances they could be killed.
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According to Kan, the document said: "At 11 am, several companies were observed gathering for prayer and lunch before start of training. At noon, equipment and weapons are distributed to the fighters, after which a company headquarters drill takes place. At 2:00 pm, the raid practice begins."
The document reportedly added that the Hamas commandos drilled infiltrating a mock IDF outpost, simulating bases on the Gaza border.
The exercise was conducted by four companies from Hamas, with each being assigned a different outpost.
The document reportedly included details of the areas within Israeli bases that the Hamas commandos planned to target.
According to the document, commandos from Hamas' elite Nukhba force were also instructed not to leave documents behind after they had raided bases.
They were reportedly instructed to also ensure that hostages did not have telephones on them. Informing hostages' families of their condition was prohibited. They were also ordered to move the hostages if it was felt that Israel had determined their location.
Moreover, the Hamas operatives were also instructed to threaten to kill the hostages to prevent them from escaping.
What happened to the document?
Citing unnamed security officials, Kan reported that the document was brought to the attention of at least the Gaza Division's senior intelligence officials.
However, the Times of Israel reported that the Israeli government and the country's top military leaders have claimed that they were not warned about an imminent planned invasion at the time.
The Kan report also said that the most extreme scenario prepared for by the Gaza Division before October 7 involved only dozens of terrorists breaching the border at three locations — far less than the estimated 3,000 who ended up infiltrating Israel using some 30 breaches during the actual attack.
According to Kan, a soldier involved in the report wrote after October 7, "I feel like crying, yelling and swearing."
Responding to the report, the IDF did not acknowledge the document. However, it said that it was investigating the failures that led to the October 7 massacre and would present them "transparently to the public".
Earlier this month, the Israeli military announced that it would begin to present its investigations into its failures in the lead-up to the October 7 attacks in July.
Was this the only warning?
According to the Times of Israel, the Kan report on the Gaza Division document follows several others that claim that the Israeli military had received some prior warning of the October 7 attack.
In the weeks and even hours ahead of October 7, Israel reportedly had multiple sources of information on Hamas' training drills and other preparations for an attack, reportedly including a 2022 Hamas attack plan.
According to the Times of Israel, an Israeli military assessment in 2022 had determined that it was too soon to say that the plan had been approved by Hamas. Furthermore, when an analyst with Israel's signals intelligence unit pointed out that Hamas had carried out a training exercise in line with the plan, her warnings were dismissed.
The deadliest assault in Israel's history, the October 7 attack saw Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups kill over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and take some 250 people hostage into Gaza. There are about 120 remaining hostages in Gaza amid fears that a number of them have been killed since they were abducted.
In retaliation, Israel immediately declared war on Hamas and launched a campaign of bombardment, followed by a ground invasion. Israel's offensive has devastated the Palestinians of Gaza and killed over 37,000 people, mostly women and children.
