Former Hamas Official Confirms Intelligence Shared Was Not Deterrent

Soufian Abu Zeida, a former Hamas official described in an Haaretz investigation as "Coal Eyes," confirmed reports by i24NEWS that intelligence he provided to Palestinian politician Mohammed Dahlan before October 7 did not carry a deterrent nature or contain details that would have alerted the Israeli system. In a Channel 12 interview, Abu Zeida did not rule out that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's objective was to lull Israel into a false sense of security, and he denied speaking with journalist Shlomi Eldar on the matter.

Sources close to Dahlan expressed frustration with the timing and political context of the Haaretz report. Dmitry Delyani, spokesperson for Dahlan's faction, told i24NEWS correspondent Baruch Yedid that the headlines were "inflated, exaggerated, mainly political, and lacking context." He added that Haaretz presented Dahlan's claims from the perspective of Israeli society and political interests, particularly during an election period.

A senior Israeli intelligence official told i24NEWS that the intelligence received by the Shin Bet was "not deterrent, not high-quality, and not operational," stating that its level was lower than intelligence gathered by Israel, and therefore did not prompt action.

The article notes that the Hamas-Dahlan-Shin Bet channel is not new. Abu Zeida has long maintained ties with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, with whom, according to Israeli reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered contact after the 2014 Gaza war. Abu Zeida also maintains contact with a senior Shin Bet official identified only as 'Aleph,' who until recently was in charge of prisoners and missing persons. Therefore, when this intelligence arrived from Abu Zeida, originating from Sinwar, it was not perceived as an unusual event.

Earlier, Haaretz reported that in late September 2023, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed conveyed a direct warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Sinwar's intention to attack Israel. According to the report, bin Zayed warned Netanyahu that Sinwar was planning a major move against Israel, but Netanyahu did not update the heads of the security establishment. The report further stated that bin Zayed urged Netanyahu to take the information seriously, but the Prime Minister reacted with relative calm.