Secret documents obtained by the “New York Times” prove that Hamas long sought to convince Iran and Hezbollah to participate in the October 7 attacks
The New York Times obtained minutes of secret Hamas meetings, showing precisely how the October 7 attacks were organized. These documents, seized by the Israeli army in a former command center in Khan Younes, were verified by the American daily.
These accounts show that Hamas had been planning these attacks for several months, with the first mention of the operations in documents dating back to early 2022 under the codename “big project”. The execution date was then postponed several times, as Hamas tried extensively to convince its allies – Iran and Hezbollah – to take part in the attacks.
The documents also show that Hamas leaders took care, for two years, to avoid any escalation with Israel in order to maximize the element of surprise. According to reports, during a meeting in April 2022, Palestinian movement leaders looked forward to a month of Ramadan without a major deterioration in relations, allowing the group to ” hide [ses] intentions » and of “keep dry[ète] the big idea [ou grand projet] »according to the New York Times. The leaders also discussed the safeguarding of ammunition and the implementation of a “broad and convincing process of disguise and deception”.
Several times postponed, the “big project” experienced a boost in December 2022, with the return of Benjamin Netanyahu at the head of the Israeli government. According to the New York TimesHamas officials anticipated that its actions would « [les] help move the big project forward”because they would attract the attention of Hamas’s allies. Furthermore, the Palestinian movement wanted to carry out its attack before the end of 2023, Israel having announced the development of a new laser capable of destroying their rockets more effectively.
In the summer of 2023, Hamas’s chief negotiator, Khalil Al-Hayya, is sent to Lebanon to meet with Iranian commander Mohammed Said Izadi, a member of the Revolutionary Guards, who assured him that he would present the plan attack on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Mr. Izadi then said, according to the documents, that Hezbollah and Iran agreed with the plan in principle, but needed time “to prepare the environment”. Hamas leaders are then confident of the support of their allies, who will not let them “exposed”but believe that they will have to lead the attack alone.
