The Palestinian group Hamas planned to carry out a terrorist attack in Israel similar to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in the United States, according to documents seized by the Israeli military. The Washington Post reviewed the materials.
The attack was scheduled to take place several years ago on a Tel Aviv skyscraper. The 70-story Moshe Aviv Tower, the second tallest building in the country, as well as the Azrieli Center complex, which consists of three skyscrapers, a large shopping center, a train station and a cinema, are mentioned as possible targets. The plan notes that the Israeli army (IDF) headquarters is nearby, meaning that the collapse of a skyscraper could also destroy a military installation.
“If this tower is destroyed in one way or another, it will lead to an unprecedented crisis for the enemy, similar to the crisis of the World Trade Center towers in New York.” – say the documents cited by WP.
The militants, however, did not know exactly how to destroy the skyscraper. The files indicate work in progress to find a solution to this problem.
The most unusual idea for attacking Israel was the use of chariots: horse-drawn carriages were considered a way to overcome rough terrain. The militants saw its potential as a “fast and light machine” that generated less heat (due to the threat of Israeli thermal imaging cameras) and sound compared to the motorcycles used by the group in the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. .
“There are three people in it, one of whom freely controls [повозкой]and the other two can shoot and fight.” – he said in the document about cars.
Hamas also considered attacking Israel’s railway network, including fuel tankers, which were considered easy targets and could explode in Tel Aviv. The group also explored the possibility of modifying the vehicles to run on rails, as well as converting fishing boats into high-speed attack boats to transport militants and explosives to Israeli ports. The materials note that regarding the “ships as bombs” plan, the militants opted for a method “that works.”
Hamas leaders also asked Iranian authorities for $500 million and requested assistance in training and equipping 12,000 militants, according to the documents, WP writes.
The New York Times recently wrote about requests to Iran and also studied some of the materials. According to her, the group tried to persuade Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah to join the attack on Israel last October. The materials say that the attack was originally planned to be carried out in the fall of 2022, but was postponed to enlist the support of allies, RBC clarifies.
