IDF forces in the Gaza Strip uncovered a significant cache of Hamas files, with 65 million documents, half a million operational documents, and maps, shedding light on the trove of information that the terror group has amassed in the past 14 years.
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Over 65 million files, along with half a million documents, operational plans, and the doctrine of war of the terrorist organization Hamas
(IDF)
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Much of the thousands of documents and maps revealing operational codes and locations were found on the bodies of terrorists and in their vehicles. Hamas has maintained extremely high levels of secrecy, making it challenging for the IDF to track its activities over the years.
The Military Intelligence Directorate estimates that the majority of the terrorists that participated in the October 7 attack were unaware that it was time to execute the terror strike, and that they believed they were preparing for another large-scale exercise. Consequently, they did not leave behind sensitive materials.
It is suggested that if the terrorists had followed security protocols, knowing that it was a genuine incursion and not a drill, the IDF would have detected it earlier, allowing for a preemptive alert for the massive attack.
The documents revealed organized Hamas combat units, planned schedules for rocket launches targeting specific locations in Israel, such as airports and military bases, and the locations of IDF intelligence bases in the south. The materials also detailed systematic procedures for the capture of Israelis, their confinement in secure rooms, the use of encrypted communication devices and computers, and extensive learning resources on the IDF.
Due to the vast amount of intelligence flowing from Gaza, the Intelligence Directorate operates its own soldiers in enemy territory, using algorithms to sort and catalog information. Parts of Hamas' combat plans spanned over 80 pages, specifying how Hamas would confront, in intricate detail, the prolonged Israeli military campaign. A laptop recovered from a terrorist's vehicle, which was intercepted near Be'er Sheva, came with a Russian keyboard.
According to documents found in Hamas bases, the Gaza City division alone has around 10,000 armed and trained operatives. The IDF estimates that the terror organization has approximately 30,000 armed military operatives in total. However, recent data presented by the General Staff in the Knesset indicates that only about a third of them have been killed so far in clashes with the IDF.