Hamas internal memo shows plan to halt October 7 raid if Israel kept deals
Recovered records indicate the operation had a built-in exit clause tied to Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa and in prisons.
By Marco Kapoor ·
Hamas leadership drafted a contingency plan for its October 7, 2023, attack that would have allowed the operation to be cancelled if Israel adhered to prior understandings, according to meeting records released by Al Jazeera. The documents, obtained by the television program The Hidden is Greater, detail the decision-making process within the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the group’s armed wing, in the months preceding the assault.
A specific clause in the February 11, 2023, meeting records for the operation, codenamed Project Fahd, stated the plan would be abandoned if Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and inside prisons ceased. The document cited "unacceptable levels" of brutality at Al-Aqsa and in the treatment of prisoners as the primary drivers for pursuing the operation. It also noted a lack of political progress, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of backtracking on previous agreements.
Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza at the time, and Mohammed Deif, the head of the armed wing, reportedly attended the February meeting. Both men were killed by Israeli forces in 2024. The operational objectives outlined in the document included defeating the Israeli military’s Gaza Division and capturing as many Israeli soldiers as possible. The Gaza Division is responsible for military operations along the border.
The release of these records comes as the conflict enters a new phase following a US-brokered ceasefire in 2025. The agreement was designed to end the fighting, ease the siege on Gaza, and facilitate Israeli withdrawals. However, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily attacks and demolitions, expanding its occupation of territory and forcing the population into less than half of the strip. At least 1,500 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, while Israel maintains sweeping restrictions on aid deliveries.
The initial Hamas-led assault on southern Israel killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign that killed at least 73,000 Palestinians over two years. Al Jazeera’s investigation also included previously unseen footage of Deif, who led the al-Qassam Brigades from 2002 until his death in an air strike in July 2024. During his tenure, he oversaw the transformation of the force into a quasi-military organization with an estimated 30,000 fighters.
Middle East Eye stated it could not independently verify the contents of the document. The investigation provides rare insight into the internal dynamics of the group’s military leadership, including recordings of Deif visiting rocket-manufacturing facilities and attending tunnel meetings with commanders who have since been killed. Before the October 2023 attack, no publicly available images of Deif were known, and little was documented about his health following seven Israeli assassination attempts over the years.
