Hamas reportedly considered calling off Oct. 7 attack: Al Jazeera
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- The records outlined core operational goals, including neutralizing the 'Israeli' military's Gaza Division and capturing soldiers along the frontier
An internal Hamas planning framework for the Oct. 7, 2023 attack reportedly contained conditions that could have led Hamas to halt the operation if 'Israel' complied with earlier bilateral understandings, according to an Al Jazeera investigation broadcast during a special episode of the investigative television program The Hidden is Greater.
The broadcast cited purported meeting records from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, dating to Feb. 11, 2023.
The operational plan, referred to internally as "Project Fahd", stipulated that military preparations would be discontinued “if the 'Israeli' attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the prisons ceased," according to the documents.
The strategy session was reportedly attended by former Hamas political chief in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and military commander Mohammed Deif, both of whom were later killed in 'Israeli' military operations in 2024.
The disclosed materials detailed Hamas rationale at the time, saying the operation as a response to deteriorating conditions.
“The brutality at Al-Aqsa has reached unacceptable levels, and the same applies to the treatment of prisoners,” the document stated, while also asserting that diplomatic engagement had stalled. The texts accused 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having “backtracked on everything previously agreed.”
The documents defined the mission's scope as engaging 'Israeli' forces stationed along the perimeter fence. “The operational objective of the project is to defeat the enemy’s Gaza Division,” one excerpt read, alongside directives to capture as many 'Israeli' military personnel as possible.
