(Dan Tri) – Hamas forces appear to have planned in unprecedented detail their attack on Israel last weekend.
Hamas forces broke through the fence at the Gaza border, flooding into Israeli-controlled territory on the morning of October 7 (Photo: Reuters).
In an unprecedented large-scale attack, Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip fired thousands of rockets toward Israel on the morning of October 7.
The gunmen carried detailed maps of the Israeli towns and military bases they targeted.
Maps and detailed tactical instructions carried by Hamas fighters written in Arabic were recovered by Israeli civilians, soldiers and medical staff from attack sites or on bodies.
Documents show that from the beginning, Hamas aimed to attack not only military facilities but also residential areas to capture hostages.
Unprecedented detailed plan
“They knew exactly what the target was going to be,” said Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer and head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University. “Never before has Hamas
A 14-page document labeled `top secret` in Arabic and dated June 15 describes a plan to invade Mefalsim, a small community near the Gaza Strip, and take hostages.
According to this plan, two teams of 5 people and a commander will carry out the operation at `hour S, day Y`.
The document warns that Israeli troops stationed nearby could reach Mefalsim `within 3-5 minutes`.
Documents collected from Hamas forces (Photo: WSJ).
Eyal Pinko, a former security officer involved in Hamas’ planning in Mefalsim, said: `It shows the sophistication of this army; they have systematically collected intelligence, used human resources
Almog Cohen, a resident and member of the Israeli parliament who took part in the fighting, said those who attacked the town of Ofakim near the Gaza Strip also carried maps and other documents.
`The map marks places where people often gather, synagogues and schools. There are many additional details on the map that show they were very carefully prepared,` he said.
On another map confiscated in southern Israel, the locations and names of other towns near Gaza, including Ein Hashlosha and Kisufim, were shown in Arabic and had been attacked.
In addition, a document contains images of eight types of Israeli military armored personnel carriers, along with brief notes in Arabic on where to attack the vehicles and what type of explosives to use.
According to the instructions included in the document, some Hamas gunmen have little experience fighting the Israeli army, so they need to be instructed on weapons and tactics to use if they encounter enemy armored vehicles.
Another document focuses on weaknesses in the Israeli army’s Merkava main battle tank.
According to Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the military branch of Hamas, the force has been planning the attack since 2021, when the group began closely studying Israeli tactics and strategies.
