New York Times: Hamas Attempted to Involve the Islamic Republic in Its Attack on Israel

The New York Times published a report based on confidential documents it possesses, stating that Hamas had attempted to involve the Islamic Republic in its terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. This report, released on Saturday, October 21, is based on the minutes of 10 secret meetings among senior Hamas leaders, which were obtained by the Israeli army and provided to the publication. According to the New York Times, records indicate that this militant group deliberately avoided several major tensions since 2021 to pretend to seek peace while simultaneously negotiating with the Islamic Republic for support for its major attack on Israel. The report further states that for over two years, Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, was discussing a plan with his senior commanders that they expected would be the most destructive and destabilizing attack on Israel in the four-decade history of this militant group. The New York Times notes that the secret minutes of Hamas leaders, recorded by the Israeli army, were reviewed by the publication. The discussions among Hamas leaders provide a detailed account of the planning for the October 7 attack, as well as Sinwar's determination to convince the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah, Hamas's allies, to accompany this attack or at least commit to a broader battle against Israel. The New York Times states that these documents show extensive efforts to deceive Israel regarding the group's intentions, as Hamas prepared for a bold attack and a regional crisis that Sinwar hoped would lead to the 'collapse' of Israel. These documents include the minutes of 10 secret meetings of a small group of Hamas political and military leaders on the eve of the October 7 attack last year. The 30-page minutes provide undisclosed details about how Hamas is led, its strategy, objectives, planning, and actions. The New York Times elaborates on sections that have been verified by the publication: - Hamas initially intended to carry out this attack, codenamed 'The Great Project,' in the fall of 2022. However, the group postponed the attack in an effort to involve the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in executing the plan. - While Hamas leaders were negotiating with Hezbollah, they considered the 'internal situation' in Israel—apparently referring to the turmoil over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial judicial overhaul plans—as one of the reasons that 'convinced them to pursue a strategic battle.' - In the summer of 2023, Hamas sent a senior official to Lebanon, where he met with a senior Iranian commander and requested assistance to initiate an attack on sensitive Israeli locations. - This Iranian commander told Hamas that the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah essentially support the group but need more time to prepare. The minutes do not specify how Hamas presented a detailed plan to its allies. - The documents also state that Hamas intended to discuss the attack in more detail at the next meeting with Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah at the time, but it is unclear whether this discussion occurred. - Hamas was confident of its allies' public support but concluded that it might need to continue its work without their full participation (partly due to the deployment of a new advanced air defense system in Israel that later complicated the execution of the attack plan). - The decision to attack was also influenced by Hamas's desire to disrupt efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, stabilize Israel's occupation of the West Bank, and Israel's attempts to exert more control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. - Hamas deliberately avoided major confrontations with Israel for two years to maximize the surprise of the October 7 attack and pretended to seek peace. - Hamas leaders in Gaza stated that they informed Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas based in Qatar, about 'The Great Project,' although it was previously unclear whether he was aware of the attack. Following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250 others, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this Islamic Republic-backed group and recovering the hostages. During negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in the fall of last year, over 100 kidnapped hostages were released, but several Israeli hostages remain captive by Hamas in Gaza. Officials from the Iran-backed Hamas group have repeatedly emphasized since the October 7 terrorist attack that they would carry out a similar attack again if possible. Hamas, without mentioning the number of its members killed as a result of Israel's invasion of Gaza, claims that over 40,000 Palestinians residing in Gaza have been killed. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.