Hamas Leader Sinwar Warned of 'Earthquake' Before Oct. 7 Attack

A former senior Fatah official in Gaza, Soufian Abu Zaida, has revealed new details about a warning he conveyed from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israel prior to the October 7th attacks. In an interview with Al-Ghad channel, Abu Zaida stated that during a meeting with Sinwar on September 14th, Sinwar expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of negotiations and instructed Abu Zaida to deliver a message to Israel. Sinwar reportedly said, "Before the end of September, we will put cards on the table that will cause an earthquake in the negotiations, and they must prepare themselves for the emptying of prisons."

Abu Zaida confirmed he asked Sinwar directly if he wanted the message delivered, to which Sinwar replied affirmatively, emphasizing that the message should be relayed verbatim. After the meeting, Abu Zaida informed Fatah's Mohammed Dahlan and his deputy Samir Al-Mashrawi before transmitting the message to Israel through an official channel, providing it in both Arabic and Hebrew to avoid translation errors. He received a call from the Israeli side within half an hour, questioning the message's authenticity, and was subsequently summoned for an urgent meeting in Ashkelon the following morning.

During the meeting in Ashkelon, which included the head of the Southern Command and Adi Rotem, a former negotiation team leader, Israeli officials expressed significant concern, with one stating that "no one in Israel, meaning the security establishment, slept last night." They sought to understand the meaning of Sinwar's "earthquake" and the nature of the "cards" he intended to reveal. Abu Zaida clarified that Sinwar was calm and not angry when he delivered the message.

Sinwar's primary concern, according to Abu Zaida, was confirming whether the message had reached Israel. Abu Zaida updated other Hamas officials, including Razi Hamad and Ruhy Mushtaha, about the events and the meeting. Despite the warnings and the intense discussions, the "cards" were never revealed, the deal did not materialize, and the meaning of the "earthquake" remained unknown. Abu Zaida returned to Gaza on October 5th, with a planned meeting with Sinwar on October 8th, just days before the devastating attacks occurred, leaving lingering questions about Israel's preparedness and actions based on the intelligence received.