Over four months since the massacre, new details about events preceding the October 7 terror attack are now allowed for release, revealing that Just hours before the attack, at midnight, Israel identified that hundreds of Hamas terrorists had switched to Israeli SIM cards on their phones, a claim denied by Shin Bet and the IDF.
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These details, along with others, had long been known by Ynet, but the censorship prevented their publication for an extended period.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that the events of that night would be thoroughly investigated and transparently presented to the public. On January 12, Nadav Eyal revealed on ynet that on that same night, intelligence received a "significant signal" due to operational activity carried out by the Shin Bet. This raised suspicion of a ground attack on Israeli territory. This signal along with further indications, contrasting with "calming indications," which decrease the likelihood of preparation for an attack.
"The reporting about thousands of Israeli SIMs turned on at once is false and far from reality," the Shin Bet and IDF said in a joint statement. "Thgere were some indications including dozens of SIMs turned on, as they have been in the past."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office put out their own statement claiming Netanyahu did not know about the report until Sunday.