Secret Hamas Intermediary Reveals Sinwar's 'Earthquake' Warning Before Oct. 7

Soufian Abu Zeida, a former Palestinian Authority minister and Gaza resident, has emerged from the shadows to reveal his role as the intermediary who conveyed a dramatic warning from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israel weeks before the October 7th attacks. Dubbed "Coal Eyes" in an earlier Haaretz investigation, Abu Zeida provided an exclusive interview in Geneva, detailing the notes he took from Sinwar and his meetings with Israeli security officials.

Abu Zeida explained that his connection with Hamas was rekindled through secret negotiations for prisoner exchanges. In March 2022, Ghazi Hamad contacted him, seeking his help to advance stalled talks regarding the bodies of fallen soldiers and two Israeli civilians held by Hamas. Sinwar, Abu Zeida stated, trusted him to facilitate these discussions.

During this period, Hamas was engaged in parallel negotiations: directly with the Shin Bet via Hamad, and indirectly with Sinwar through Abu Zeida. On August 1, 2022, Abu Zeida met with the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, who expressed a commitment to addressing Gaza's needs, including workers, electricity, water, and infrastructure, contingent on the success of a deal. Abu Zeida relayed these details to Sinwar.

The critical warning came on September 14, 2023, just three weeks before the massacre. Sinwar summoned Abu Zeida for an urgent meeting, during which he dictated a message that Abu Zeida wrote down verbatim. The message included the word "Zilzal" (earthquake) and a demand for the release of all prisoners before the end of September, implying a significant escalation. Abu Zeida admitted he initially interpreted this as a negotiation tactic, not a direct threat of war.

Immediately after the meeting, Abu Zeida contacted Mohammed Dahlan and Samir al-Masharawi in the UAE, who were aware of his activities. He then messaged his Shin Bet contact in Hebrew, who responded with urgency, requesting a meeting the following day. Abu Zeida met with a Shin Bet commander, identified as "Oscar," on September 15th, who sought to understand the meaning behind Sinwar's statement. Abu Zeida maintains that the responsibility to interpret the full scope of the threat lay with Israel's intelligence apparatus, not solely with him.

On the morning of October 7th, Abu Zeida witnessed the unfolding events from his home in Jabalia, seeing rockets and an Israeli military jeep with a hostage. He described the moment he realized the world had changed, stocking up on supplies as he foresaw the destruction of buildings and the Israeli military's presence. He expressed sorrow for the Gazan crowds celebrating the hostages, knowing the grim future that awaited them. Abu Zeida remained in Gaza until November 11th, subsequently working for the Egyptian television channel Al-Ghad and closely following Israeli media coverage.