The newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat" reveals new details about the October 7 massacre from sources close to the leadership of Hamas. According to them, preparations for the massacre began in 2014 but were halted due to Operation Protective Edge, and the plan was frozen. With the initiation of Operation Guardian of the Walls, Hamas decided to expedite the plan and prepare for the attack.
According to the report, the attack began with 70 fighters crossing the border in the first moments by detonating specially prepared explosive charges after identifying vulnerable points in the fence. These fighters underwent comprehensive training over the years, including special exams and rigorous assessments, to preserve and develop their combat skills. The fighters, who trained for years, were unaware of the purpose of the training and pledged to their commanders not to reveal their training.
The same sources also stated that the decision to carry out the attack and its timing was made by only five individuals: Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Ruhi Muosta'a a close associate of Sinwar, and Ayman Nofal, one of Deif's associates who was killed during the war.
Following reports from Hamas's monitoring units confirming that the border was quiet, the early morning hours of October 7, on the celebration of Simchat Torah, were chosen for the attack. At midnight, the commanders on the ground received orders to prepare. Simultaneously, Ayman Siyam, the commander of the missile unit in the Gaza Strip (also killed in this war), received special instructions to prepare for launching hundreds of missiles concurrently with the beginning of the attack. Senior Hamas leaders were instructed to go down to the bunkers.
