Hamas delayed terror attack on Israel by a year in an effort to rope in Iran, Hezbollah into plot

Hamas delayed its terror attack on southern Israel by a year in an effort to recruit Iran and Hezbollah into the plot, which the group referred to as the “big project,” according to a stunning new report.Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar planned the deadly Oct.7 invasion for more than two years, according to documents viewed by The New York Times.Sinwar and his commanders hoped to invade the Jewish State in fall 2022 but pushed back their plans by 12 months as they tried to get Iran and Hezbollah to join them.In their discussions with Hezbollah, Hamas leaders cited domestic political unrest in Israel in the wake of the judicial overhaul there as a key reason they were “compelled to move toward a strategic battle,” according to the Times.The revelations about the prelude to the Oct.

7 massacre comes from the minutes of 10 secret meetings of a small group of Hamas higher-ups which were seized by the Israeli military — then obtained by the Gray Lady.The documents included 30 pages of previously unknown details about how Hamas’ leadership functions and the preparations for the deadly terror attack.Hamas purposely avoided any major conflicts with Israel beginning in 2021, to focus on what they called “the big project.”Hamas used the same language in similar contexts, but Israel intelligence officers did not understand what they were referring to until after the assault, according to two Israeli officials familiar with the situation.In July 2023, Hamas sent a top official to Lebanon, where he met with a senior Iranian commander and requested help with striking the most sensitive sites at the start of the invasion.The Iranian official assured Hamas that Tehran and Hezbollah were supportive of the effort, but needed more time to prepare, the New York Times reported.Hamas ultimately decided to move forward without their allies’ direct involvement, in part because they wanted to stop Israel from deploying its advanced new air-defense system before the attack took ...