Shin Bet chief warns Eilat could face a future Oct. 7-style attack

Shin Bet chief David Zini has recently issued unusually sharp warnings in closed security discussions about the next major threat to Israel. According to a report in Haaretz, based on several security sources, Zini said that “the next October 7 will be in Eilat.” He reportedly instructed senior Shin Bet officials to place a worst-case scenario, a large-scale attack on the southern city, at the top of the agency’s intelligence and operational priorities.

Sources who spoke to the paper said Zini views Eilat as a major and critical security weak point for Israel, mainly because of its isolated location and distance from major population centers and large military bases. In internal Shin Bet discussions, as well as in broader security forums, he warned of a coordinated ground incursion into the city from its land borders.

The main threat he identified comes from the Jordanian border, which is considered long and relatively porous. Zini also stressed that there is a real possibility of infiltration and invasion by sea through the Gulf of Eilat.

The report does not say when the warnings were first made, but it presents them as part of Zini’s recent focus on future threat scenarios. The agency is now treating a possible attack on Eilat as a central planning concern.