Intelligence officials confirm: "Hamas was planning a strike of historic proportions"

Documents, maps, and equipment discovered with Hamas fighters who attacked Israel's border regions with the Gaza Strip on October 7 indicate that they aimed to initiate a large-scale conflict. A second phase of their plan involved infiltrating Israeli cities and military bases, and advancing toward the West Bank. "Hamas strategists intended a strike of historic proportions," as reported in "The Washington Post".

The American daily "Washington Post" reveals that Hamas militants who attacked on October 7 were directed to strike larger Israeli cities. The assailants succeeded in entering the city of Ofakim, more than 12 miles inland. According to the news outlet, their final goal was to reach halfway to the West Bank.

"This would have represented a symbolic blow to the Palestinian Authority that maintains partial control of the West Bank," anonymous sources shared with the newspaper. The 'WP' spoke with both "senior" intelligence officers from the Middle East, and a former US official who reviewed the evidence gathered post-attack, commenting on the initial intelligence findings.

"Evidence explored by approximately a dozen current and former intelligence and security officials from four Western and Middle Eastern countries suggests that Hamas strategists intended a historic strike".

Experts infer that the plan to attack Israel was in progress over a year. Throughout the Gaza Strip, Hamas conducted above-ground and underground military drills, utilizing inexpensive drones to map Israeli cities and military installations. Additional information was obtained from Palestinians working in Israel, including in kibbutzim, which were later assaulted.

The group also monitored Israeli websites, analyzing photographs of real estate and social media posts illustrating life in the kibbutzim and blueprints of structures. Evidence was found with deceased members of Hamas, who possessed high-resolution maps.

An assault team was equipped with satellite maps detailing the route from the Shejaiya district in Gaza to the point where the border was breached, and the targeted kibbutz. They even marked locations where attackers were to establish posts and set up ambushes to thwart any rescue attempts for civilian residents. Hamas members were also given handcuffs and arson tools.

As a result of these preparations, the attackers breached the border at about 30 points, and within a few minutes took control of Israeli military bases and nearby settlements. The most horrifying actions occurred in the kibbutz Beeri, where terrorists, among other atrocities, reportedly performed unspeakable acts of violence against a pregnant woman and her unborn child, according to the newspaper.

In other areas, parents were killed in front of their children, and vice versa. Survivors described witnessing sexual assaults. "From the interrogations, we learned that Hamas had detailed attack plans, including targeted areas for the sexual assault of female Israeli soldiers," Joav Galant, the Defense Minister, divulged to the newspaper.

While Hamas officials claim that the success of the October 7th attack caught them by surprise, this belief is contradicted by the multiple days' supplies of food and equipment left behind. "They had a follow-up phase planned, targeting larger Israeli cities and military bases," a senior Israeli official disclosed.

Analysts believe that Hamas meticulously orchestrated a massacre of Israeli civilians on a scale that would have almost certainly provoked an Israeli military response in Gaza. Moreover, Hamas leaders have publicly expressed their willingness to bear significant casualties among the Strip's civilian population.

Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas' political bureau, openly admitted this in an interview with Lebanese television, sharing that the organization "takes pride in their ability to offer up martyrs." "They took a very sober view of the consequences," a senior Israeli military officer with access to classified intelligence information, including interrogations of Hamas members, assessed. "They were ready to sacrifice many lives in Gaza to secure their place in history, a spot in the narrative of jihad."

In an interview with Lebanese television, Hamad declared that Hamas would launch further attacks against Israel. "There will be a second, third, fourth attack," he stated.

Hamas' statements, insinuating that the organization hopes for a broader conflict, mirror those made by Al-Qaeda leaders in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Rita Katz, the Executive Director of SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors the ideology and communication of extremists online, noted this similarity. She pointed out that Osama bin Laden expected a potent American reaction to the attacks and hoped for a severe, global clash between the Muslim world and the West, ultimately leading to the triumph of Islam.

Hamas also anticipated a resolute response from Israel. "They knew Israel would retaliate forcefully. That was the premise," Katz shared in a conversation with "WP". "For Hamas, the suffering of Palestine is a key element causing instability and global outrage, which it is trying to exploit," she added.

Katz argues that even if Hamas' current leadership is effectively destroyed, the organization and its supporters will still view October 7 as a victory, primarily because the group has undeniably drawn global attention to the Palestinian conflict. "For the first time, Hamas has claimed such a significant position," Katz opined. In her view, the public awareness of the atrocious events of October 7th has been overshadowed by Hamas' tactic of shifting the conversation to Israel and away from the terrorist organization. "That was precisely their objective," she concluded.