'Detailed map, infiltration routes': Documents reveal Hamas's scale of planning for attack - Selected Articles
The surprise attack launched by Hamas on Israel has thrown the region into an unprecedented level of military escalation. Hamas's army wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, infiltrated into Israel, breaching the southern border, and a bloodbath followed. According to the latest reports, Hamas terrorists had detailed maps of locations in Israel, including its military bases, hinting that the group's assault was a long-prepared one.
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report revealed that the Hamas terrorists had a well-prepared infiltration route map, along with detailed maps of the towns and military bases that they targeted. Some of them had tactical guides identifying weak spots, showing the scale of planning behind the deadly attack.
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"Taken together, the documents indicate that Hamas set out from the start to target not just military installations, but to attack civilian population centres and to take hostages," the Wall Street Journal report stated.
A map recovered from an Israeli site attacked by Hamas. | Photo: South First Responders via Wall Street JournalSome of the documents even mentioned the number of civilians in the Israeli areas, provided detailed descriptions of the kibbutz (a Jewish settlement), and included estimates of when the Israeli army could arrive.
A 14-page document in Arabic, titled “Top Secret” and dated June 15, 2023, was also recovered from the Hamas terrorists. It described the plan to infiltrate a kibbutz and take its residents as hostages. The document also contains details of the deployment of Hamas operatives for various operations, referred to as "Hour S, Day Y".
The Wall Street Journal quoted Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer, who pointed out that this level of planning by Hamas had not been seen before. "There is nothing close to this level of planning in any of the steps Hamas had taken in the past,'" he told the newspaper.
On October 7, Hamas terrorists launched missile attacks against Israel from Gaza, and their operatives entered southern Israel, killing several citizens and taking many as hostages. In retaliation, Israel declared a 'state of war' and announced Operation 'Iron Swords' in Gaza. The attack has resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides.
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