Terror intel. center provides Hamas Oct. 7 secret deception plan documents to 'Post' - exclusive

New internal Hamas documents, provided by IDF intelligence to the Meir Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute and exclusively shared with The Jerusalem Post, detail a systematic deception plan aimed at lulling Israel into complacency before the October 7, 2023, massacre. The documents, dating from 2022-2023, reveal Hamas's multi-disciplinary strategy to surprise the IDF.

One key document from September 13, 2022, titled "Building a Strategic Deception Plan Which Will Be the Basis for a Surprise Attack by Hamas on Israel," outlines the need for a plan encompassing diplomatic, military, economic, and public relations efforts. It specifically mentions advancing hostage exchange negotiations to create a pretext for reduced overt military activity.

The plan emphasized normalizing border activity and continuing drills at a routine pace to prevent Israel from identifying the true moment of attack. Hamas also sought to confuse the IDF by repeatedly summoning its Nukhba Force fighters in various ways. The documents suggest increasing the volume of terrorists on the border and having high-level commanders frequently visit to further obscure the build-up.

Analysis by the Amit Center indicates that top Hamas officials admitted after the October 7 attack to utilizing such a systematic deception plan. These newly revealed documents provide further insight into the specific tactics and strategic thinking behind Hamas's elaborate scheme to achieve surprise.