Ex-Defense Minister Gallant Reveals Hamas Warning Received by Shin Bet

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) received a warning from Hamas weeks before the October 7th attack. The warning, attributed to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, stated that he would "shake up the prisons." Gallant stated that this intelligence was received through a channel connected to the Shin Bet, but the defense establishment did not interpret it as preparation for a large-scale assault.

According to Gallant, the Shin Bet and military intelligence assessed that Sinwar's threat was related to the potential abduction of hostage Elisabeth Tsurkova. He made these remarks in an interview with "Galey Tzahal" radio.

Gallant also addressed reports of warnings from Egypt and the UAE prior to the October 7th massacre. He stated that during his tenure as defense minister, he was unaware of any such signals and only learned of them through media reports. He emphasized that if such foreign warnings were indeed conveyed, they should have been treated as security information for the defense establishment, not solely as personal political intelligence for the prime minister.

Regarding reports of an Egyptian intelligence chief's visit to Israel shortly before October 7th, Gallant asserted that he had no knowledge of such a visit during his time as defense minister. He clarified that the visit did not occur with his knowledge or the involvement of his subordinates.

Previously, Gallant had questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's explanations regarding his actions on the morning of October 7th and criticized his conduct in the initial days following the Hamas attack.