Israeli officials knew about Hamas' plans to carry out an attack more than a year before the actual assault happened on October 7, claimed the New York Times in a report.

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Citing documents, emails, and interviews, the report said Israeli military and intelligence officials dismissed the Hamas plan as aspirational, considering it too difficult for the Palestinian militant group to execute it.

This development came as the ongoing war escalated on Friday (Nov 30) following the expiry of a week-long ceasefire between the warring factions.

The report said that an approximately 40-page document called "Jericho Wall" gave details about Hamas' proposed attack.

As per the document, there was no fixed date for the attack. But it described a methodical assault designed to overwhelm fortifications around the Gaza Strip, take over cities in Israel, and storm key military bases.

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It was not yet known if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top Israeli politicians saw the document.

The Hamas attack of October 7 left at least 1,200 Israelis dead.

Hamas followed document's details with shocking precision

The NYT report claimed that Hamas followed the details described in the document with shocking precision.

The 'Jericho Wall' called for a barrage of rockets at the outset of the attack, drones to knock out security cameras, and gunmen to arrive in Israel in paragliders, motorcycles, and on foot:  all of which actually happened on October 7.

The document also showed details about the location and size of Israeli forces, communication hubs, and other sensitive information.

This raised questions about how Hamas gathered its intelligence and whether there were any leaks inside the Israeli security establishment.

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In 2022, shortly after this document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military's Gaza division said that Hamas' intentions were unclear. A military assessment reviewed by the publication said that it was not yet possible to determine whether the plan was fully accepted and how it would be manifested.

Three months before war, a warning

Three months before the October 7 attack, a veteran analyst with Israel's signals intelligence agency Unit 8200 warned that Hamas had carried out an intense daylong training exercise that appeared similar to what was outlined in the document. On July 6, the analyst wrote to a group of other intelligence experts that dozens of Hamas militants had recently conducted training exercises, with senior commanders of the group observing.

She warned the drill closely followed the Jericho Wall plan, and Hamas was building the capacity to conduct it.

However, a colonel in the Gaza division brushed off her concerns by saying the scenario was imaginary, and not an indication of Hamas' ability to pull it off. “In short, let’s wait patiently,” the colonel said, the NYT reported. 

(With inputs from agencies)