A document written in 2016 by then-Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and published on Monday by Yedioth Ahronoth proposes the possibility of a terror attack of tremendous proportions by Hamas and, in fact, foresaw the events of the October 7th massacre.
Liberman wrote in the 11-page paper how, from his impression, Hamas was preparing for a conflict with Israel. Among other things, he noted that the organization intended to use military forces to capture communities in the Gaza envelope with the objective of taking hostages.
The document was passed to all security and diplomatic officials, but the IDF Chief of Staff at the time, Minister Gadi Eisenkot, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not think of it as a highly feasible scenario.
Liberman claimed in the document that "postponing a decision to carry out a preemptive strike on Gaza to after June 2017 would be a severe mistake with far-reaching consequences, and in certain respects, even worse than the consequences of the Yom Kippur War, when it comes to the effect on the Israeli homefront, on the consciousness of Israeli citizens, and Israel's image and status in the area.
Hamas intends to move the next confrontation to Israeli territory by moving substantial and highly skilled forces (the Nukhba force, for instance) to Israeli territory while conquering an Israeli town (or even towns) in the Gaza envelope and taking them hostage, which, beyond the physical harm to the people themselves, would severely harm the consciousness and moral of the citizens of Israel."
The document further notes that "Hamas wants the next campaign against Israel to be on multiple fronts by building additional fronts other than the Gaza Strip (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Sinai), and even against Jewish targets around the world." In this regard, a note, written in bold, stated, "In the next confrontation, as part of the multi-front campaign, overseas Hamas will be an active partner."
Liberman also admitted that the border fence did not supply ample protection to the area's residents. "The security obstacle by Gaza, with its various means and abilities, is, of course, an important ingredient in the current defense strategy against Gaza, but it can not be a strategy alone. Modern history and past precedents prove that fences and fortifications do not prevent wars and are not a guarantee of peace and security."
Prime Minister Netanyahu's office did not comment on the report.