IDF identified Deif, other top Hamas commanders entering tunnels on eve of Oct. 7

On the eve of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, the Israeli military identified the chief of the terror group’s military wing, Muhammad Deif, and other top commanders heading underground into tunnels, it can now be revealed.

The movement of top Hamas commanders into tunnels on the night between October 6 and 7 was among at least five warning signs identified by the IDF prior to the attack that pointed to unusual activity in the Gaza Strip.

Until now, most of these signs have remained classified.

Previously, the only anomalous sign permitted for publication was the activation of dozens of Israeli SIM cards held by Hamas terrorists in the group’s elite Nukhba force.

Israeli security officials have now authorized the publication of additional signs identified on the eve of October 7, including Deif and other top Hamas commanders entering tunnels; Hamas operatives making preparations at rocket-launching tunnel shafts; and adjustments to Hamas’s anti-tank missile array.

The military’s investigation into the failures surrounding the onslaught found that some of the anomalies also had alternative explanations or were not considered strong enough indications of a threat.

And alongside the anomalies, several other signs were received that indicated Hamas was maintaining its expected routine activity.

Each of the signs alone did not indicate anything significant to the IDF, and some had occurred several times in the past. However, the accumulation of the signs was unusual, and as a result, during the night, numerous checks were made by intelligence officers to confirm or refute plans by Hamas to attack Israel.

Some of the checks led to the signs being dismissed, while others remained open. Regardless, not one officer interpreted the signs as meaning something could happen imminently.

Still, the investigation found that if a full intelligence picture had been seen by top officers, it is possible that they would have decided to raise the level of alert for a pinpoint Hamas attack, though not for an all-out war.