Hundreds of Hamas fighters received specialized combat training in Iran in the period immediately prior to the Oct. 7 onslaught on southern Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday based on conversations with "people familiar with intelligence related to the assault."
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According to the report, around 500 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad participated in exercises in September led by officers from the Quds Force, which is the Revolutionary Guards' overseas terrorist arm. General Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force, also took part in these exercises.
On October 7, more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed by Hamas terrorists who breached the border from the Gaza Strip. More than 200 captives are still held in Gaza as hostages.
Video: Security forces respond to rocket attack / Credit: Erez Linn
The terrorists used drones to disrupt Israeli surveillance posts and advanced tracking equipment. Some of them used paragliders to enter Israel, while others rode motorcycles, which are commonly used by Iranian military organizations but were not used by Hamas until October 7.
"Before the war, Iran directly assisted Hamas with money, training, weapons, and technological know-how," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, said. "Even now, Iran is helping Hamas with intelligence."
American officials told the Journal that Iran consistently trains terrorists in Iran and other locations, but they do not have concrete evidence of mass training just before the October 7 attack. They claim that there is no information indicating that Iran conducted specialized training in preparation for the October 7 events.
The Wall Street Journal cites senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and reports that the Quds Force provided assistance in planning the attack and agreed that it could go ahead, with a meeting scheduled in Beirut on October 2 between Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. A Syrian government advisor and a European official provided similar reports of Iran's involvement.
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