Hezbollah was aware of Hamas’ attack half an hour before its execution
Le Figaro, the French newspaper, confirms that both Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif carried out a camouflage operation to avoid revealing the plan, including making visual changes to the military leadership of the movement
The October 7th operation launched by Hamas against Israeli targets in the Gaza Strip raises many questions and analyses about the supporting parties or those who were aware of the attack. Le Figaro reported that the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, knew about the attack plan half an hour before its execution, based on testimonies from leaders of Hamas in Jordan, Lebanon, and Qatar, in addition to individuals close to the movement in the Gaza Strip.
These revelations come amid controversy following statements by the spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guard, Ramadan Sharif, stating that the Storm Al-Aqsa operation was a retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force. The commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, denied this information, saying that the operation was Palestinian, a statement also contradicted by Hamas.
Le Figaro, citing the same sources, mentioned that the Al-Qassam Brigades had been preparing for the attack in complete secrecy for two years, confirming that only three or four individuals were aware of the details of the strongest attack against the Israeli state in recent decades.
According to the report, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, Saleh al-Arouri, was informed by the military wing about the imminent attack on the morning of October 7th through a phone call. He was asked to inform Hezbollah‘s leader about the news.
A Hamas leader in Jordan affirmed that the idea of invading settlements in the Gaza Strip had been planned for more than two years, saying, ‘The first time I heard about planning the attack was in 2021.’
The newspaper mentioned conflicting views on the timing of the attack between the military and political leaderships, stating, ‘Some political leaders in Hamas wanted to carry out the attack three months before the operation, while the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and the leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, insisted on October 7th.’
Hamas leader Khaled Meshal told the newspaper, ‘This point cannot be confirmed, but determining the timing of the attack is the responsibility of the military leadership on the ground.’
The sources emphasized that both Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif engaged in a camouflage operation to avoid revealing the plan, including making visual changes to the military leadership of the movement.
The sources strongly stated that the real leader of the military wing is not Mohammed Deif or Marwan Issa but rather Yahya Sinwar’s brother, Mohammed Sinwar. The source added, ‘Despite his serious injuries, Mohammed Deif’s head still functions well, and he is the one who resolves disputes within the military apparatus and enjoys much respect for making decisions with Yahya Sinwar’s approval.’
The same source confirmed that sympathizing youths from the ranks of Hamas and Jihad disappeared, and it was later revealed that they went for Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca) but actually went to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and Syria for weapons training.
Le Figaro stated, ‘Sinwar isolated himself from the political branch abroad and barely answered phone calls from movement members.’ The report mentioned a heated meeting between Yahya Sinwar and Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk in Gaza, revealing that the Hamas leader does not trust Qatar or the leaders residing in Doha.
The report cited an incident between Sinwar and a Qatari ambassador who brought only $13 million instead of the expected $30 million. Sinwar told him, ‘Take the $13 million and come back with the remaining $17 million as planned.’
The same source mentioned that Sinwar lost his temper when Hezbollah did not engage more in the attack on Israel. He sent a message to Nasrallah to find out why they did not take bolder positions.
