Gaza Border Resident Recounts Years of Ignored Warnings Before Oct. 7

Yifat Ben Shushan, a resident of Nativ HaAsara near the Gaza border, describes her persistent efforts to warn the Israeli military about Hamas's escalating activities and drills in the months leading up to the October 7th massacre. From her home, she observed Hamas's preparations, including naval commando exercises and simulated raids, which she reported to the army. However, she claims these warnings were dismissed by military officials who treated her and others like her as "delusional" and accused them of "talking nonsense," with Ben Shushan questioning if her gender played a role in the dismissal.

Ben Shushan recounts specific instances, such as in May 2023, when she received intelligence from a listener named Menachem Gida about Hamas planning active infiltration. Six months later, on September 12, 2023, she received a detailed description of a large-scale Hamas exercise involving naval and ground forces. She states that this detailed intelligence, which predicted the kind of attack that occurred, was ignored. She expresses deep frustration and a sense of post-traumatic stress, questioning what has truly been learned from the tragedy, citing a complex mix of small failures, inattention, and a numbing routine.

The article details how Ben Shushan and other residents felt their concerns about the border's vulnerability were disregarded, even as Hamas built observation posts and conducted extensive drills. She points to the construction of the underground barrier by Prime Minister Netanyahu's government, which was celebrated as a major security achievement, but notes that Hamas quickly established observation posts directly overlooking Israeli communities from behind it. Ben Shushan criticizes the military's response to these posts, which she claims were only partially destroyed or rebuilt, and questions the logic of focusing on minor details like the thickness of safe room doors while ignoring the larger threat.

Ben Shushan also highlights the perceived disconnect between the military's assessment of deterrence and the reality on the ground. She recalls a period of relative quiet, which the army interpreted as successful deterrence, while Hamas was actually conducting large-scale war games. She expresses concern that the current approach in Gaza, focusing on a defensive line rather than actively dismantling Hamas, mirrors the conceptual failures that led to the October 7th attack. She advocates for a more assertive approach, where any Hamas aggression would trigger a stronger Israeli response, including territorial gains, to ensure the organization is dismantled.