Ex-Shin Bet Agent Claims He Warned of Hamas Attack Days Before Oct. 7

A former Shin Bet agent, who served for 37 years, claims he issued a significant warning about the disappearance of Hamas officials in Gaza two days before the October 7th massacre. The agent, identified only as 'A', stated in an interview with Channel 14 that the information reached former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar but was not passed to the Prime Minister. According to 'A', unusual signs began accumulating on October 2nd, 2023, when a Hamas terror orchestrator from Gaza suddenly went offline. By October 5th, less than 48 hours before the attack, 'A' received confirmation of lost contact with another orchestrator, receiving a response from an unfamiliar individual with an "Gazan accent" stating the contact was unavailable indefinitely.

'A' alleges that this intelligence was immediately escalated up the chain of command within the Shin Bet, reaching Ronen Bar directly. He asserts that despite the critical nature of the information, no preventative measures were taken, and it was not relayed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'A' holds Bar responsible for the intelligence failure, stating, "He is responsible." The former agent also claims that after the massacre, when he informed Shin Bet officials that he had warned them beforehand, he began receiving threats from within the service. He described being asked to take a polygraph test where he was questioned about foreign intelligence contacts and whether he was considering self-harm, which he interpreted as an implied threat to his life.

The Shin Bet has vehemently denied these claims, calling them "complete fake news" and stating they are inconsistent with investigation findings and captured Hamas materials. The agency asserted that Hamas leadership was unaware of the plan until shortly before the events unfolded. A spokesperson for Ronen Bar also issued a strong denial, calling the report "complete fake news" and an event that "never happened," citing evidence that Hamas leaders were not in an emergency state that week. Undeterred, 'A' maintains his account and has offered to take a polygraph test outside of the Shin Bet.