Hamas planned the devastating terror attack on Israel for two years while pretending to be governing Gaza — but was “surprised” at being able to kidnap and slaughter so many, according to an exiled leader.
Ali Barakeh, a member of the terror group’s exiled leadership in Lebanon, said key members intentionally projected a “rational” image to the world to hide its sinister intentions.
“We made them think that Hamas was busy with governing Gaza, and that it wanted to focus on the 2.5 million Palestinians [in Gaza], and has abandoned the resistance altogether,” Barakeh told Russia Today TV.
“All the while, under the table, Hamas was preparing for this big attack.”
To help keep it from Israeli intelligence, only “a limited number of Hamas leaders knew it” was coming, Barakeh told the pro-Kremlin channel.
“The zero hour was kept completely secret,” he said.
“The number of people who knew about the attack and its timing could be counted on one hand.”
Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas’ exiled leadership in Lebanon, said in an interview with a Russian news channel that Hamas was surprised by the extent of its success in Israel. Visegrád24
A propaganda video posted to X reportedly shows Hamas terrorists using fan-powered paragliders to invade Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. X/@XTrendHunter
Hamas leaders never expected to be able to kill more than 1,200 people. REUTERSStill, he and his fellow Hamas leaders never expected to be able to kill more than 1,200 people — mostly civilians, including kids — and kidnap at least 150 others who are now being threatened with execution.
“We were surprised by this great collapse,” Barakeh separately told the Associated Press.
“We were planning to make some gains and take prisoners to exchange them. This army was a paper tiger.”
In fact, an anonymous diplomatic source told the Middle Eastern news outlet Al-Monitor that the plan had been dramatically more modest.
“They hoped to kill some Israelis, embarrass the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and return to Gaza with two or three kidnapped Israelis,” the source said.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. REUTERS
A propaganda video posted to X reportedly shows Hamas terrorists using fan-powered paragliders to invade Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. X/@XTrendHunter
Over 1,200 Israelis are dead, more than 3,000 are wounded and at least 100 were taken hostage.
“Instead, they roamed inside Israel for more than a day, killing over a thousand Israelis and getting stuck with something like 200 abductees,” the source added.
“Their success surprised them, too.”
Rather than celebrating the fact, Hamas is now “very worried” that the attack was too successful for its own good, the diplomatic source suggested.
Israel-Hamas war: How we got here
2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip more than three decades after winning the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: Terrorist group Hamas wins a Palestinian legislative election.
2007: Hamas seizes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launches military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fired rockets into the town of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches the biggest attack on Israel in 50 years, in an early-morning ambush Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets and sending dozens of militants into Israeli towns.
Terrorists killed more than 1,200 Israelis, wounded more than 4,200, and took at least 200 hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to announce, “We are at war,” and vowed Hamas would pay “a price it has never known.”
The Gaza Health Ministry — which is controlled by Hamas — reported at least 3,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,500 injured since the war began.
“With two abductees, they could have negotiated with Israel for permission to build a seaport and freedom for hundreds of prisoners held in Israeli jails,” the source said.
“With more than 100 abductees, they will face the entire Israeli army inside Gaza. That’s the tragedy of their success.”
With Post wires
