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3 weeks before Oct. 7, IDF Gaza Division warned of Hamas plan to attack, take 250 hostages
Times of Israel ^ | 6/17/24 | TOI Staff

Posted on 06/17/2024 3:56:56 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie

A document put together within the IDF’s Gaza Division less than three weeks before October 7 warned that Hamas was training for a large-scale invasion of Israel during which hostages would be taken en masse, according to an Israeli television report Monday.

The document by Military Intelligence’s Unit 8200 was circulated on September 19 and was reportedly brought to the attention of at least some senior intelligence officials, but ignored.

It estimated the target number of hostages at 200-250, according to the Kan public broadcaster, citing unnamed security sources. During the actual October 7 massacre, 251 hostages were taken and 1,200 others were killed, mostly civilians.

Similar reports were subsequently published by other Hebrew media outlets.

The detailed document described a series of exercises by the Palestinian terror group’s elite forces who drilled raids on Israeli towns and military posts, on how to hold soldiers and civilians hostage when back inside Gaza, and in what conditions they can be killed.

Commandos in Hamas’s elite Nukhba force were instructed not to leave documents behind after they raided bases, according to the memo. Terrorists were told to ensure hostages did not have telephones on them, were forbidden from informing hostages’ families of their condition, and to move them if it became apparent that Israel determined their location.

Terrorists were also required to threaten to kill hostages to deter others from escaping.

The document was brought to the attention of senior intelligence officials, at least within the Gaza Division, unnamed security officials told Kan. The government and top military leaders have contended they were not warned about an imminent planned invasion at the time.

The report added that the most extreme scenario the Gaza Division had prepared for before October 7 was dozens of terrorists breaching the border in three spots — far less than the estimated 3,000 who ended up entering Israel during the onslaught.

One of the soldiers involved in the report wrote after October 7, “I feel like crying, yelling and swearing,” according to Kan.

In its response to the report, the military did not acknowledge the document, but said it was investigating the failures that led to the massacre and would present them, “transparently to the public.”

The report follows several others in which the military was said to have received some prior warning of the massacre. Israel had multiple sources of information on Hamas’s drills and other preparations for an assault in the weeks and even hours ahead of October 7, reportedly including a 2022 attack plan from the terror group.

A military assessment in 2022 determined it was too soon to say the plan had been approved by Hamas, and when an analyst with the country’s signals intelligence unit noted the organization had carried out a training exercise in line with the plan, her warnings were dismissed.

Palestinian rioters during clashes with Israeli security forces along the frontier with Israel, east of Gaza City, September 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Following the October 7 onslaught, surveillance soldiers who served along the border with Gaza said they had raised concerns before that day about suspicious activity but were ignored.

The IDF had long touted its security fence, with cameras, watchtowers and high-tech sensors, as providing security to residents of Gaza border towns. But on October 7, Hamas terrorists knocked chunks of it aside with explosives and bulldozers at multiple locations, then drove right through the gaping holes in jeeps and on motorcycles, while others sailed over in hang gliders, as drones dropped explosives on observation towers and took out cameras.

Amid a simultaneous rocket barrage across southern and central Israel, an estimated 3,000 terrorists stormed into southern Israel and slaughtered soldiers and civilians alike, with some local resistance but the military establishment slow to react.

The Israeli military announced earlier this month that it would begin to present its investigations into its failures in the lead-up to the Hamas terror group’s October 7 attacks in July.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: israel; ntsa
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I don't claim to understand Israeli politics or governance. And, I generally support the conservative movement in Israel led by Netanyahu.

However, I believe it is time for Bibi to fall on his sword, resign, and call elections. He is ultimately responsible for failing to heed the many warnings of the coming attack. Whether he personally knew of the warnings has not been established to my knowledge, but that is also irrelevant. It is his responsibility to run a whole government that protects its citizens. He failed. Time for new leadership. In my opinion.

(Standing back for the incoming rounds ...)

1 posted on 06/17/2024 3:56:56 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie
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To: Uncle Miltie

Those who knew the warnings and didn’t act on them need to be tried and executed.

There can be nothing more treasonous to a country than leaders who allow the people they are supposed to protect suffer this kind of atrocity.

That goes for ANY country.

Can someone say *9/11*?


2 posted on 06/17/2024 4:00:04 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: Uncle Miltie

It sure sounds like this thing wasn’t an intelligence failure, which is a good thing.


3 posted on 06/17/2024 4:00:51 PM PDT by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
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To: Uncle Miltie

BiBi is hated by the left in Israel just like Trump is hated here by the deep state..they have the deep state in Israel as well. I believe this entire thing was known about in advance but BiBi was never warned so he could be blamed for it. You had a festival overlooking the Gaza border, these were leftists who were partying, that is why it was held there, for them to show their peace with Gaza, people who lived nearby reported weeks in advance how they would see people training for something late in the night and it was ignored, they would say “Oh come on, Hamas doesn’t have the ability to do anything significant” Hamas showed them and made the Mossad look like fools


4 posted on 06/17/2024 4:05:34 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Uncle Miltie
However, I believe it is time for Bibi to fall on his sword, resign, and call elections. ... Whether he personally knew of the warnings has not been established to my knowledge, but that is also irrelevant.

I've asserted that elements within the IDF could not have been ignorant of this plot. I've also stated since 10/8 that this smacked of an attempt to undermine the Israeli government and weaken it from within.

Now you're suggesting the answer is to undermine the government and severely weaken Israel, 'Mr. generally'.

Very interesting...

5 posted on 06/17/2024 4:07:11 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: Uncle Miltie

This is well-known and was known soon after Oct. 7.

https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/idf/conceptzia-idf-knew-about-the-hamas-attack-but-generals-ignored-the-reports/2023/11/26/


6 posted on 06/17/2024 4:07:47 PM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: metmom

can some one say mass importation of illegals murdering stealing etc crime and use of tax payer monies which most taxpayers likely don’t agree with?

plenty of passed examples but it’s happening now too!


7 posted on 06/17/2024 4:09:00 PM PDT by b4me
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To: metmom

Let us not forget that 9/11 was facilitated by elements within our own government (as well, as I’ve long asserted)...


8 posted on 06/17/2024 4:09:10 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: Uncle Miltie

I fear An election now would almost certainly mean non hardliner Liberal favored by globalists would “win”. Bibi may have dropped the ball here but if it’s used take him down we won’t like what comes next.


9 posted on 06/17/2024 4:11:46 PM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: Sarah Barracuda

It was Military Intelligence headed by Aharon Haliva and Shin Bet headed by Ronen Bar that arrogantly botched it. Mossad does not have responsibility inside Israel or the territories.


10 posted on 06/17/2024 4:13:30 PM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: logi_cal869

As you may know, I’m an extremely strong Israel supporter, and an extremely conservative guy. I’d like to see the next conservative leader win and form an even stronger government.

So please refrain from suggesting that I’m here to undermine Israel’s conservative movement. I’m not. I think they can be strengthened by admitting mistakes were made, and bring forth new strong leadership with which to destroy hamas.

Bona fides available in my tagline.


11 posted on 06/17/2024 4:16:29 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Israel, in order: https://freerepublic.com/tag/unclemiltieadventure/index)
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To: Uncle Miltie
However, I believe it is time for Bibi to fall on his sword, resign, and call elections. He is ultimately responsible for failing to heed the many warnings of the coming attack.

It appears that the Intelligence agencies were too busy with political maneuvering to bother paying attention to HAMAS attack rehearsals, let alone making a case to Netanyahu that there was at attack pending.

The people who should be thrown on a sword are in those agencies.

12 posted on 06/17/2024 4:17:01 PM PDT by flamberge (It turns out that you can fool most of the people, most of the time.)
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To: Uncle Miltie

The title is awful. Misleading.

They were not warned about them taking 250 hostages.

There might have been some warning, not specific. But a broad warning. But I am unsure if I really believe this.

Just take the article with a grain of salt.

TF


13 posted on 06/17/2024 4:23:47 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (Texas is not about where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind and Attitude.)
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To: metmom
it was done on purpose....I've been told that Israeli security is so good it could detect a bird flying over its borders....

purposefully...

so maybe the "myth" about TPTB trying to rid Gaza of its people and to build a new canal, larger, more direct than the Suez might be true...

nothing happens without a purpose.

14 posted on 06/17/2024 4:27:56 PM PDT by cherry
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To: metmom

“Those who knew the warnings and didn’t act on them need to be tried and executed.”

In order to make any judgement we need to understand the total environment. How many “warnings” are received or issued in any given month? If it’s dozens and few, if any, come to fruition, that’s one scenario. If, as is implied by the reporting, it was just this one and there was plenty of backup, that’s another scenario. But the nature of intelligence is you are NEVER 100% sure of anything. Apparently, there were plenty of warnings about 911 and nobody acted on them. Did they even get to someone who could have acted? I think not. There’s something called “normality bias.” Because something has never happened before, it won’t happen. That’s a very human failing. One reason that stronger measures were not undertaken years before 911 is because they’d have cost huge amounts of money and been very unpopular, probably leading to election losses. So, since the danger had never occurred before it was politically necessary to assume it never would occur.

As for replacing Netanyahu, I do understand something about Israeli politics. I worked for an Israeli company for several years and got the inside scoop from a dozen employees. Whoever replaces Netanyahu will almost certainly have to do the opposite of whatever he was doing, and I think his solution, as imperfect as any solution to an unsolvable problem is, is the only one that will be optimal. He needs to carry it to the logical conclusion, whatever that turns out to be.


15 posted on 06/17/2024 4:30:09 PM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: cherry

I drove gaza to Eilat. Ain’t gonna be a canal anywhere down there.


16 posted on 06/17/2024 4:30:38 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Israel, in order: https://freerepublic.com/tag/unclemiltieadventure/index)
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To: metmom

yes 9:11, but more current is the Border with millions marching straight into the USA and the gov. not doing a thing to protect our citizens. I guess when they get to our doors maybe we will decide to complain. I think it might be cool for the J6 group to march down there and tell the invaders to turn around. Yeah, just dreaming.


17 posted on 06/17/2024 4:30:52 PM PDT by WVNan
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To: Uncle Miltie

If it can be shown that Bibi himself was warned and ignored it I’ll agree with you. If his intel services were warned and didn’t tell him, they need to be prosecuted.

L


18 posted on 06/17/2024 4:31:18 PM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: Lurker

I hear you. We differ.

Israel is united in purpose, Destroy Hamas.

Israel is vastly divided by politics. The liberal minority cannot back Bibi because they think he’s at fault, and dragging out the war to retain power. I disagree, but see a clearer way to re-unite the country: Get the false issue of Netanyahu out of the way but for a real reason: his government made a huge mistake. Then re-elect Likud to shut the leftists up.

But hey! I’m not Israeli and plead ignorance to many things. That’s just how I see it.


19 posted on 06/17/2024 4:40:20 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Israel, in order: https://freerepublic.com/tag/unclemiltieadventure/index)
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To: Uncle Miltie

There were also surprise inspections three days before the attack. ALL IDF outposts failed their inspections. Again, nothing was done. So, after eight months, the buck finally stops on Bibi’s desk? Netanyahu has been responsible for everything that has occurred from 10/SIX forward.


20 posted on 06/17/2024 4:42:11 PM PDT by hardspunned (Former DC GOP globalist stooge)
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