A small group of Hamas operatives planned the massacre against Israel on October 7 by communicating through a network of wired telephones embedded in their tunnel system to avoid being discovered and intercepted by Israeli intelligence. CNN writes this, citing US intelligence data. According to the report, over two years, Hamas avoided using cell phones and computers, using landlines and meeting in person to plan the attack through “old-fashioned counterintelligence measures.”
Tunnels and telephone lines, Hamas’ strategy
Telephone lines in the tunnels allowed the agents to communicate with each other secretly without being tracked by Israeli intelligence officials, the sources told CNN.
During the two years of planning, the small cell operating in the tunnels used landline telephone lines to communicate and plan the operation, but then remained stagnant until it was time to activate and invite hundreds of Hamas fighters to launch the attack on the October 7, sources report.
“Old-Style Counterintelligence”
Sources close to US intelligence told CNN how Hamas hid the operation’s planning through old-fashioned counterintelligence measures, such as in-person planning meetings and staying away from digital communications whose signals could be tracked by the Israelis.
The news, CNN explains, “offers new information on why Israel and the United States were so unprepared for the Hamas attack, which saw at least 1,500 fighters pour across the border into Israel in an operation that killed at least 1,400 Israelis”.
The ‘Gaza Metro’
The Israel Defense Forces informally refers to the tunnels built by Hamas over the past 15 years or so as the “Gaza Metro.” The tunnels make up a vast labyrinth that is used to store rockets and ammunition depots, as well as providing militants with a way to move around undetected. The IDF also says it contains vital Hamas command and control centers.
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