Internal operational records obtained by Al Jazeera detail how militant commanders conditioned their major cross-border assault on Israeli adherence to prior understandings regarding prisoners and holy sites. Top leaders formally outlined the contingency months before the assault, specifically citing actions by Benjamin Netanyahu as justification for continuing the operation. The subsequent raid and retaliatory conflict ultimately devastated the Gaza Strip and fundamentally altered the region's security landscape. Meeting records from an 11 February 2023 session show the operation was prepared under the codename "Project Fahd."
Key points
Hamas commanders offered to call off the major assault if Israel ceased attacks in prison…: Hamas commanders offered to call off the major assault if Israel ceased attacks in prisons and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The resulting conflict resulted in the deaths of roughly 1,200 Israelis and at least 73,0…: The resulting conflict resulted in the deaths of roughly 1,200 Israelis and at least 73,000 Palestinians over two years.
Deif transformed the al-Qassam Brigades from a guerrilla outfit into an organized militar…: Deif transformed the al-Qassam Brigades from a guerrilla outfit into an organized military structure of about 30,000 fighters.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Hamas’ plan for the 7 October 2023 attack reportedly included a clause allowing it to be cancelled if Israel honoured previous understandings with the Palestinian group, according to an Al Jazeera investigation.
The investigation, broadcast on Friday by the television programme The Hidden is Greater, revealed meeting records from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, in the months before the attack.
A meeting on 11 February 2023 discussed the operation, codenamed "Project Fahd". It stated that the plan would be abandoned “if the [Israeli] attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the prisons ceased”.
Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader in Gaza at the time, and Mohammed Deif, head of its armed wing, reportedly attended the meeting. Both were killed by Israeli forces in 2024.
The document said the decision to pursue the operation came amid what it described as Israeli violations.
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