Hamas Leader Sinwar's Handwritten Plan Reveals Detailed October 7 Attack Strategy

Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, new details have emerged about the extensive planning behind Hamas's attack. A handwritten document by former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, dated about a year before the assault, outlines a detailed operational plan including force deployment, target objectives, and instructions for the invasion of Israel, as reported by Ehud Hamo on Channel 12 News.

According to the document, Sinwar planned a simultaneous breach of the security fence at 25 different locations, alongside the takeover of 25 key intersections in southern Israel. Each intersection was assigned a squad of approximately 100 militants, totaling around 2,500 fighters for this task. The plan also allocated forces to various Israeli communities and IDF bases: 2,210 militants were to infiltrate 221 kibbutzim and small settlements, 1,600 targeted eight larger towns, and about 2,000 were assigned to attack military bases.

Sinwar's summary stated the operation aimed to infiltrate roughly 10,000 "well-trained fighters" into Israel. The document also instructed militants to seize vehicles from southern residents, take men aged 17 to 50 as hostages, and prioritize kidnapping women and children. Captured individuals were to have their phones and documents collected. Addressing possible Israeli retaliation, Sinwar acknowledged Israel might use all available means, including nuclear weapons, but believed the initial surprise and chaos would ensure the operation's success.

In reality, about 3,100 Hamas militants entered Israel in three attack waves on October 7, joined by roughly 580 Islamic Jihad fighters. The revealed document indicates Sinwar's original plan was to deploy a much larger force of approximately 10,000 militants. The full document is expected to be published soon by the Amichai Institute for Terrorism and Intelligence Research at the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate, offering further insight into Hamas's preparations, operational concepts, and Sinwar's objectives for the October 7 attack.