In a recent report by The Washington Post, former representatives of Israeli intelligence agencies have revealed that Hamas may have obtained valuable intelligence from Gaza residents who work in Israel under special permits.
According to the report, the operation carried out by Hamas was the result of at least two years of planning, which included two conflicts between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Islamic Jihad, a small group of militants in the Gaza Strip. During this period, Hamas faced criticism for remaining passive while Israeli strikes targeted the leaders of the Islamic Jihad.
Miri Eisin, a former senior intelligence officer of the IDF, believes that thousands of Gaza residents who cross the border into Israel daily for employment may have provided Hamas with information for attacking border towns.
It is worth noting that prior to this revelation, Israel had requested emergency assistance from the United States amounting to $10 billion.
Earlier, Hamas stated that it would release foreign hostages “when circumstances permit.”