The IDF Spokesperson published on Sunday a rare handwritten document by Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, who was eliminated in October last year. The document was discovered during IDF operations in Gaza and exposes the methodical and brutal planning behind the October 7 massacre. The document reveals quotes from 2022 in which Sinwar provides emphasis and guiding principles for the raid plan into Israel, including details on how to breach the border, control territory, and commit atrocities.
"It is essential that forces perform intensive movements weeks before any red side action, which the enemy considers routine; this will serve as a cover story for the large movement," the mass murderer wrote, explaining the need for sophisticated concealment.
The document details a gradual raid plan of four waves of terrorists, each with predefined maps and targets. According to the captured document, Sinwar estimated the raid would trigger a rapid collapse of Israel's defense line and lead to a multi-arena campaign. Sinwar marked an "opportunity window," and the terrorists were instructed to spread quickly, control key points and prevent any recovery attempt.
Additionally, the document addresses psychological warfare and contained direct instructions for terrorists to commit massacre acts against civilians and soldiers, and to film them in real time. "Care must be taken that images emerge that will cause an outbreak of euphoria, madness and eruption among our people, especially in the West Bank, in the 'interior,' in Jerusalem and throughout our nation. This, to stimulate response to calls that will be made for them to go out and rise up."
It further stated that "simultaneously, they must cause an outbreak of feelings of horror and fear among the enemy. Commanders of the units must be emphasized that they must cause these things intentionally first, film them and broadcast the images as quickly as possible: stepping on soldiers' heads, shooting at point-blank range, slaughtering several with a knife, tank explosions, soldiers kneeling with hands on heads and so forth.
"Events must be planned in advance from which terror images will emerge: several burning car bombs that will explode at an outpost or building and create terrifying destruction, heartbreaking scenes, terrible fire. Five or ten such images will sow mortal fear in them. There must be organization for two or three actions whose purpose is burning an entire neighborhood or kibbutz and so forth. They will pour fuel or diesel from a special tanker, burn the place and broadcast the images."
According to the document, "every brigade commander must have a ready plan for force mobilization, their deployment, communication method with them and their operation according to central instructions from the mechanism commander. The northern brigade's targets must see first and foremost toward the coastline. Gaza brigade's targets must be in a northeast direction up to a certain angle. Central camps' targets must be in a northeast direction with an inclination toward the east. Khan Younis brigade's targets must be toward the east. Rafah brigade's targets must be toward the southeast."
Sinwar warned against the possibility of Israeli recovery, aware of the response that might arrive. "If we are not prepared to exploit the opportunity to the fullest, then the enemy will succeed in controlling the chaos and moving to a counterattack or it will receive assistance from outside, and then the situation will reverse against us in the worst way," he wrote. "Therefore it is essential to be prepared for force flow, attack development, its expansion and reinforcement to the maximum during the first six to ten hours in order to establish solid facts on the ground that will thwart any possibility of counterattack."
