Hamas operatives were able to hack security cameras and gather vast amounts of intelligence over seven years before launching the October 7 massacre, according to a bombshell report by Israeli media.
Documents seized from Hamas showed the terror group had been spying on kibbutzim and other Israeli communities along the Gaza border, collecting critical information such as the location of a kindergarten, health clinics, and the identities of security guards.
This intelligence gathering was part of a complex operation that allowed Hamas to plan their attack meticulously.
Shalom Ben Hanan, a former senior official with Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency, expressed shock at the scope of the information Hamas had accumulated.
He said the detailed intelligence showed Hamas had been preparing for the assault for years, challenging the Israeli government’s previous assessment of Hamas as a minor threat compared to other terror groups.
The report also highlighted disturbing footage of Hamas surveillance on the communities, where terrorists monitored security cameras to prepare for the attack. More than 1,200 people were killed during the assault, many of them civilians, and 251 were taken hostage.
It appears that Hamas gained access to the security cameras due to civilians sharing access codes through messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
The group also infiltrated the emails of security officials, which helped them identify weak points in Israel’s defence. This allowed them to target less-guarded areas for their attack.
Hamas even tracked the movements of top Israeli officials, including regional council leaders, with one official revealing they had been marked as a target.
Former Eshkol Regional Council head Gadi Yarkoni said Hamas had targeted his former residence despite his moving departments years earlier.
Amnon Ziv, the police chief in Ashkelon, recalled receiving a direct threat from Hamas in 2022, including a video and a warning that he would be targeted.
While Israeli officials are investigating the security failures leading to the attack, the country’s government has yet to appoint an independent commission to probe the events surrounding the massacre.
The October 7 attack remains one of the most significant security breaches in Israel’s history, with reports suggesting that warning signs of the assault were present but not acted upon by officials.
