How did Hamas 'perfectly fool' all Israeli intelligence before the attack?

According to a recent report by The Jerusalem Post , an Israeli security official confirmed that Israel's three most important intelligence agencies - including Aman, Shin Bet and Mossad - were unaware of Hamas's preparations for the attack in Israel in October, an event that became the bloodiest day in the Jewish state's 75-year history.

Israeli security sources believe that Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinwar managed to secretly exchange information despite being monitored by Israeli intelligence. According to the assessment, Hamas meticulously prepared for the October 7 attack, with a senior Israeli security official calling the process a "perfect deception".

Hamas đã 'đánh lừa' tình báo Israel ra sao trước cuộc tấn công ngày 7.10? - Ảnh 1. — Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

An Israeli security official explained the tactics used by Hamas military commanders to pass messages. "It is possible that confidential details, instructions and general attitudes are conveyed in direct conversations or through other means... ", he said.

"In retrospect, the Israeli intelligence community was not aware of this. Aman was not aware, Shin Bet was not aware, Mossad was not aware. No one was looking into it. Had they known, a different plan would have been in place to prevent a sudden escalation with Gaza. Had they known, they would not have left the border undefended, nor would there have been such a basic response from the ground or the air," the official said.

Conflict Point: Hamas-Israel ceasefire, then fight again; HIMARS still causes many losses for Russia

According to reports, during Operation Tropical Fruit in 2018, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) installed listening devices in Hamas strongholds in Gaza. Hamas discovered these systems in the town of Khan Yunis. Some of the systems remained in the area and were bombed, but others fell into Hamas hands, and possibly with Iranian assistance, they were able to decipher the methods used by the Israeli military.

"The failure of the operation left the IDF blind in many ways. We were behind in terms of taking the initiative and understanding the bigger picture. In retrospect, the failure seems strategic. While the IDF thought they had a clear picture, they saw little more than weak signals that they struggled to connect," said an Israeli security official.

Source link