Unread email led to Hamas’ October 7 operation, says Hebrew media report

• ‘Israeli’ military intelligence detected a major Hamas weapons-related alert in northern Gaza one day before October 7, but the warning was only sent via unread email.
• The intelligence failure, which occurred on the eve of a Jewish holiday, was compounded by an officer who misclassified the activity as a mere "show of force."

A day before Hamas launched its surprise operation on October 7, 2023, ‘Israeli’ military intelligence detected suspicious activity in northern Gaza, including the activation of a major weapons-related component.

However, the alert was sent only via email and went unread due to the timing on the eve of a Jewish holiday, according to a recent report by channel 12 news.

The warning, which reached the Yarkon base of Unit 8200 – ‘Israel's’ elite signals intelligence unit – on October 6, 2023, detailed Hamas fighters dismantling storage facilities and exhibiting unusual movements in the area.

Under standard protocols, such intelligence should have prompted an immediate sector-wide alert, potentially triggering heightened readiness across the Gaza border.

Instead, personnel opted not to relay the information by phone, sending it exclusively through email.

The message arrived on a Friday, coinciding with the eve of Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday when many offices, including the Gaza Division, were unattended.

As a result, it contributed to what has been described as a cascade of oversights leading up to the events.

Lt. Col. A., the intelligence officer for the Gaza Division who received the information, reportedly classified it as a mere "show of force" by Hamas rather than an indicator of imminent action.

This assessment prevented the alert from being escalated during routine situation reviews or shared with senior command.

The officer was later dismissed by the ‘Israeli’ military chief of staff Eyal Zamir amid broader measures following the “October 7 failures”.

In response to the Channel 12 report, the ‘Israeli’ military said: "The IDF has conducted and presented a wide range of in-depth investigations into the events of the morning of October 7 and the night preceding it.

"The findings were presented to the families, the injured, relevant decision-makers, the media, and the public. The investigations included lessons and insights, and the IDF in general – and Unit 8200 in particular – are working to implement them."