The Palestinian movement Hamas wanted to attack Israel in the fall of 2022, but postponed its plans to gain support from Iran and the Hezbollah movement.
Oku.Az reports that “The New York Times” refers to the minutes of meetings of Hamas leaders captured by the Israeli army.
According to the publication, the documents were found in January in the movement’s clandestine command center in Khan Yunis. It contains the minutes of 10 meetings of the Hamas leadership, which show that since 2021, the movement has deliberately not participated in major clashes to reduce the surveillance of the Israeli authorities and “surprise” them later.
Additionally, the newspaper claims that Hamas asked Iranian officials, as well as Hezbollah, to attack Israeli targets during the attack. “The New York Times” reports that Iranian authorities and “Hezbollah” have said they support Hamas’ plan in principle, but want more time to prepare.
The publication notes that Hamas’s decision to attack was influenced by the desire to prevent the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
It should be recalled that on October 7, 2023, the situation in the Middle East worsened dramatically after Hamas supporters entered Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of border settlements and taking 250 hostages. In response, Israel declared a complete blockade of Gaza and began attacking it, Lebanon, and certain regions of Syria. A ground operation was subsequently launched in the enclave.
