Sinwar Sent Intel to 'Lull Israel' Before Oct. 7 Attack, Report Claims

Weeks before the October 7th Hamas attacks, Yahya Sinwar, a top Hamas leader, transmitted information intended to lull Israel into a false sense of security, according to i24NEWS. The intelligence was reportedly passed to former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan via Soufian Abu Zaida, a Fatah official close to Dahlan. Dahlan then allegedly relayed the information to the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency.

However, a senior Israeli intelligence official told i24NEWS that the information received by the Shin Bet was not a concrete alert. "This information was neither alarming, nor of high quality, nor operational," the official stated, adding that it was less precise than intelligence Israel already possessed and therefore did not prompt any specific measures. i24NEWS could not confirm what Dahlan did with the information or if it reached Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as previously reported by Haaretz.

The communication channel used was not unusual, as Abu Zaida maintained long-standing contacts with both Hamas officials, including Ghazi Hamad, and a senior Shin Bet official responsible for hostage and missing persons cases. Israeli services were accustomed to such indirect exchanges.

i24NEWS analysis suggests Sinwar's communications may have been part of a deception strategy to reinforce Israel's belief that Hamas favored dialogue. The report notes that in the years leading up to October 7th, Hamas engaged in numerous contacts with journalists and former Israeli officials, focusing on civilian projects for Gaza and mediation regarding missing persons. This apparent willingness to engage in dialogue, the analysis posits, helped mask Hamas's preparations for the attack.

"The conception ended up absorbing all the signs," the senior intelligence official quoted by i24NEWS summarized, referring to the prevailing belief in Israel at the time that Hamas was not seeking a major confrontation.