Intelligence denied: Officials ignored warnings of suspicious movement

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
27 Oct 2023 14:38

"Israel" had allegedly observed unusual movement months ahead of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. but officials ignored the signs.

An Israeli Occupation Forces soldier at the site where cars are burning after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a parking lot and a residential building in Askalan, south of Occupied Palestine, Monday, Oct. 8, 2023. (AP)

The Times of Israel said that the Israeli Occupation Forces' surveillance soldiers reported signs of unusual activity by Hamas movement members to intelligence officials months before Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, however, senior officials had dubbed these signs "insignificant warnings".

According to the site, three months before the October 7 operation, female observers serving at an occupation base in the "Nahal Oz" settlement reported signs of unusual movements on the Gaza border, one kilometer away from the settlement.

Among the activities reported by the Israeli Occupation Forces were unusual movements by Hamas members along the Gaza Strip separation wall.

According to the Times of Israel, the soldiers noted that members of Hamas conducted training sessions several times a day, drilled, and placed explosives along the border, however, senior officials "took no action".

Warnings 'never taken seriously'

The soldiers had gathered information through a variety of cameras, sensors, and maps, given that they are expected to be fully aware of each small movement and change occurring at a depth extending about 15-30 kilometers of the area each has a responsibility for monitoring.

According to the accounts of two female IOF observers stationed at a base in the settlement of "Nahal Oz", the warning signs for what had later happened on October 7 were never taken seriously.

In a report broadcast by the Israeli channel Kan, the soldiers, Yael Rotenberg and Maya Desiatnik recounted their experiences in the months leading up to the attack.

Rotenberg recalled often seeing many Palestinians in civilian clothing approaching the border fence carrying maps, checking the land around the fence, and digging. On one occasion, when the information was transmitted, Rotenberg was told that they were farmers, and there was no reason to worry.

"It's infuriating," said the IOF observer before stressing "We saw what was happening, we told them about it."

In turn, Desiatnik recounted that Hamas members trained at the border fence continuously, without stopping. Initially, she alleged, the training was taking place once a week, then once a day, and then almost non-stop.

IOF attempting to show control

The IOF observer said she had gathered evidence of the content of the training, which included how to drive a tank and how to cross into "Israel" through a tunnel, and, with increased activity at the border, realized that "it's just a matter of time" before something happened.

"We saw patrols along the border, people with cameras and binoculars, it happened 300 meters from the fence," claimed the IOF observer.

In the weeks leading up to 7 October, the Israeli soldier noted that Hamas' efforts were concentrated at two specific points in the area she was responsible for monitoring, which meant here would be several others along the fence.

The soldiers said that what had happened had proved the Israeli "army" 's complete failure to protect female surveillance soldiers, after failing to take their warnings seriously.

It is important to note that the alleged reports are emerging at a time when the IOF is in dire need of showing that it has some control over the situation as it has failed in terms of intelligence from the outset, only to fail to contain the Gaza rocket launches even 19 days after the operation started and having created a genocide in the Strip with over 7,000 martyrs.

In fact, the Palestinian Resistance factions have released extensive footage featuring their special forces' complete raids on Israeli military sites in training exercises under the Joint Operations Room (JOR).

Moreover, in the exercise launched on September 10, Resistance fighters showcased their ability to launch wide-scale attacks in naval and ground settings. The exercise featured the use of pickup trucks, speedboats, and frogmen. These tactics were essential to the success of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which showcased the Resistance's ability to coordinate a beach landing in "Zikim" as well as a wide-scale ground infiltration that embarrassed the IOF's Gaza Division.

Shin Bet chief admits to intel failure, holds himself responsible

In a message to members of the Shin Bet security agency, chief Ronen Bar claims to hold himself responsible for the lack of an early warning for the Palestinian Resistance operation on "Israel".

“Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately on Saturday we were unable to generate a sufficient warning that would allow the attack to be thwarted," he said, adding, “As the one who heads the organization, the responsibility for this is mine."

“There will be time for investigations. Now we are fighting.”

Hours before the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, the security establishment claimed to have suspected unusual movement in the Gaza Strip, which prompted a late-night phone call between senior officials, but the signs were later brushed off.

Read next: IOF intensify raids, shelling; target residential towers in Gaza Strip

According to Israeli reports, Bar went to the agency’s headquarters and deployed a small team to the Gaza border after anticipating a small-scale operation. When the operation was launched, at least 10 members of the Shin Bet were killed on October 7, as per the agency.

“We are in a war, not a round [of fighting]. A round you win with a victory image and silence; a war ends with a decisive victory and a change of situation. There is no border limit, no time limit. Till the very end,” Bar added.