Newly released footage from 2022 reveals Hamas terrorists conducted detailed rehearsals for the October 7, 2023 attack more than a year before carrying out the deadly assault.
Israeli Channel 13 broadcast the video Monday, showing Hamas operatives engaged in strategic planning sessions and practice exercises that mirror the actual terrorist attack. The footage captures individuals in both civilian attire and military gear gathered around a conference table, including Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who now serves as Hamas’s leader in Gaza.
The broadcast combined this planning footage with previously obtained video of Hamas forces practicing a seaborne assault on Zikim Beach. Participants in the recording can be heard celebrating the training exercise and discussing their hopes that a real operation would lead to the release of imprisoned terrorists.
Audio from the video captures members of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force coordinating from what appears to be a command center during the simulation. One operative is heard reporting over the phone: “They have destroyed two pieces of military equipment and killed four soldiers. The enemy is confused.”
The conversation continues with tactical updates: “The destruction was total? How many injured? Lightly? Can they be treated in the field? How many martyrs?” as commanders communicate with field units during the mock attack.
The recording was made during 2022 when Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid led the Israeli government. Channel 13 has not disclosed how they obtained the footage.
This isn’t the first evidence of Hamas preparation for the attack to surface. Additional training videos have emerged previously, including propaganda footage released less than a month before October 7th showing terrorists practicing breaching replica border barriers, driving vehicles into simulated Israeli territory, and firing at human-shaped targets.
