He unprecedented attack by Hamas of last October 7 would not have really been a surprise for Israel, which, according to publications ‘The New York Times‘, knew about the Islamist group’s plans for more than a year. This is stated in documents, emails and interviews to which the American newspaper has had access. Israeli authorities, however, underestimated Hamas and They ruled out that he was going to carry out an operation of such magnitude as the one that finally resulted in some 1,200 fatalities.

The plan, a document of about 40 pages that the Israeli authorities referred to in code as ‘Wall of Jericho’, contemplated scenes that were actually fulfilled on October 7, as the use of paragliders to reach Israeli territory, the use of drones wave massive entry of militiamen on foot and on motorcycles.

Although it did not date the attack, it did describe a methodical assault, designed to overcome defenses around the Gaza Strip and attack key military bases and civilian populations. A plan that the assailants followed precisely the day of the massive attack.

Always according to the New York newspaper, the document was widely circulated among the Israeli military and Intelligence leadership, but the authorities They considered that Hamas would not be able to carry out such a large scale attack. According to the ‘NYT’, it is not clear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other political leaders also saw the document.

Furthermore, according to emails cited by the ‘NYT’, a veteran Israeli military intelligence analyst warned in July that Hamas had carried out a training exercise very similar to what was contained in the document. “I categorically reject that the scenario is imaginary,” he warned, asserting that it was about “a plan designed to start a war”. But she was not heard.