Israeli Military Aware of Unusual Activity in Gaza Just Before October 7

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that the leadership of the Israeli military and intelligence received information just before the Hamas attack on October 7, indicating that something unusual was occurring in Gaza. This information, however, was deemed insufficient for serious conclusions or actions. This was noted by the Russian service of the BBC.

Haaretz's military correspondent Amos Harel states that military, military intelligence, and representatives from Israel's "Shin Bet" security service discussed the information received on the night of October 7 over the phone. The Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, was also notified about the events taking place.

Nevertheless, the information was limited, leading officers to conclude that the ongoing activities were likely Hamas military drills, and they agreed to continue discussions on Saturday morning.

In response to this newspaper report, the Israeli Prime Minister's office assured that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed only at 6:29 AM, by which time Hamas had already launched its attack on Israeli territories surrounding the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military continues to assert that it had no information regarding a looming attack by Hamas.

"The Israel Defense Forces are responsible for the safety of the country and its citizens, and on Saturday morning, we were unable to fulfill that obligation. We will learn lessons and investigate, but for now, it is time to fight," said Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Thursday.