Israeli media reported that the military was aware of Hamas' planned attack.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a warning in mid-September that Hamas was planning to invade Israel and seize over 200 hostages, according to a report on Monday.

Three weeks prior to the October 7 attack by Hamas fighters, the IDF's intelligence directorate produced a report indicating that Palestinian militants were preparing for a large-scale invasion of Israel. Citing anonymous security sources, the report allegedly detailed Hamas' plans to send dozens of commandos in an operation aimed at capturing between 200 and 250 hostages to Gaza.

Several thousand Hamas fighters carried out the actual assault on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the capture of around 250 hostages taken back to Gaza.

Sources indicated that Hamas members had been observed conducting drills on mock IDF outposts, practicing tactics for capturing both military and civilian hostages, and preparing procedures for handling detainees once they reached Gaza.

The report purportedly reached senior officials in the IDF's Gaza Division but was reportedly disregarded.

This isn't the first instance of claims that Israel had prior warning about the October 7 attack. Egyptian intelligence officials stated shortly after the assault that they had repeatedly warned the Israeli government about Hamas' plans for a significant action in the days leading up to October 7, but these warnings were allegedly ignored in West Jerusalem.

Earlier in 2023, the IDF reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on multiple occasions that Israel was perceived as vulnerable to attack by its enemies. However, the specifics of these warnings were not disclosed publicly, and Netanyahu recently stated that none of the documents mentioned concrete plans by Hamas to attack.

According to an Israeli source cited by an American journalist last year, Netanyahu reportedly paid little heed to the possibility of an attack from Gaza. Allegedly, he directed two-thirds of the IDF troops stationed at Israel's border with Gaza to provide security at an Orthodox Jewish festival in the West Bank against the advice of Gaza Division commanders.

Amid Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas, retired General Benny Gantz resigned from Netanyahu's war cabinet last week. Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot also departed shortly afterward, both accusing Netanyahu of failing to develop a strategy to defeat Hamas and end the conflict. Netanyahu dissolved the cabinet on Sunday and is expected to discuss the situation with a smaller group of ministers, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, moving forward.