Israeli intelligence ignored warnings ahead of deadly October attack
A soldier serving in a special unit of Israeli intelligence sent an email to her commanders with a warning about a planned attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. However, she was ignored, resulting in a massacre. The behind-the-scenes details of the matter were just publicised by Israeli television Channel 12.
An officer of the IDF Military Intelligence had warned her superiors a few days before 7 October that Hamas was planning an attack on Israel. In an email sent on 19 September, she called for actions to minimise the damage that the terrorist group could inflict – reported Hebrew media.
The intelligence agent, referred to by journalists as "Vav," which is the first letter of her Hebrew name, in an email sent to several IDF officers warned that "a sword is coming" and called on them to "warn the people" while there was still time.
The document clearly outlined Hamas's plans for the attack on Israel. It detailed the terrorists’ exercises as they prepared for raids on Israeli cities and military posts. "Vav" warned that Hamas was practising hostage-taking operations – estimating the number of hostages to be between 250 and 500 individuals.
The warnings from "Vav" were ignored by her superiors. As a result, the Israeli military was completely unprepared for the attack that occurred on 7 October 2023.
On that day, early in the morning, Hamas terrorists breached the border with Gaza and launched a bloody attack on southern Israel. They killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
In response to the media reports about the email from "Vav" the IDF announced that they are conducting an investigation. They have promised that the findings will be "presented to the public" after the investigation concludes.
According to local media, as a result of the Israeli military operation, after 7 October 2023, more than 38,000 Palestinians had died. Furthermore, the entire Gaza Strip has sunk into a deep humanitarian crisis.
