Secret Gaza Tunnel Network Exposed: Hamas' 2-Year Plot to Attack Israel Revealed by Intelligence Sources
Hamas operatives meticulously planned a surprise attack on Israel by utilizing a sophisticated network of hardwired phones installed in the extensive tunnel system beneath Gaza over a span of two years, as per intelligence shared with the United States
According to two sources familiar with the matter, intelligence shared with the United States reveals that a group of Hamas operatives, operating in a small cell, meticulously planned a surprise attack on Israel. Over a span of two years, they utilized a network of hardwired phones integrated into the extensive tunnel network beneath Gaza to maintain covert communication. This method ensured that Israeli intelligence officials were unable to track their activities, as shared by the sources with CNN.
The small cell operating in the tunnels communicated and planned the operation using hardwired phone lines over a period of two years. They remained in a dormant state until the time came to activate and contact hundreds of Hamas fighters for the October 7 attack, according to sources. To avoid detection by Israeli or US intelligence, they refrained from using computers or cell phones throughout this two-year period.
"There wasnt a lot of discussion and back and forth and coordination outside of the immediate area," one of the sources said.
An underground tunnel in Gaza is shown in a gesture by a Palestinian fighter from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of the Hamas movement, in a photograph taken on August 18, 2014. Hamas allowed a Reuters reporter, photographer, and cameraman to visit the tunnel, possibly in an effort to refute Israel's claim that they had destroyed all of the group's tunnels used for border infiltration during the Gaza war.
Result: The underground tunnel network known as the "Gaza metro" utilized by Hamas is surrounded by mystery. Israel's intelligence shared with US officials discloses the tactics employed by Hamas to conceal their operation. Such tactics include traditional counterintelligence methods like holding in-person planning meetings and abstaining from digital communication, which can be tracked by the Israelis. Instead, Hamas relies on hardwired phones within the tunnels. This information sheds light on the reasons behind Israel and the US being caught off guard by the Hamas attack. The attack involved approximately 1,500 fighters infiltrating the Israeli border, resulting in the death of at least 1,400 Israelis.
CNN has not had access to the specific intelligence, but has conversed with sources who are knowledgeable about it. The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence chose not to offer a comment, and the Israeli embassy in Washington has not responded to a request for comment.
According to previous CNN reports, a succession of strategic cautions from US and Israeli intelligence agencies did not enable officials from either nation to predict the occurrences that took place on October 7.
The tunnels constructed by Hamas in the past fifteen years are commonly referred to as the "Gaza metro" by the Israel Defense Forces. These tunnels serve as an extensive labyrinth that serves multiple purposes, including the storage of rockets and ammunition caches, as well as providing an inconspicuous means for militants to navigate. Additionally, the IDF asserts that these tunnels house crucial command and control centers for Hamas.
Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old grandmother who was among the two hostages released by Hamas on Monday, shared her experience of being kidnapped. Following her abduction, she was taken into the network of tunnels and spent her nights sleeping on a mattress laid on the tunnel floor.
Based on information from informed sources, the Hamas attack involved a small cell that strategically prepared a larger group of fighters prior to launching the operation. Ground unit commanders and fighters had been undergoing months of training and were kept in a constant state of readiness, but they were only informed of the specific plans a few days before the operation. This approach of compartmentalization was employed to maintain strict secrecy and effectiveness, as observed by the source.
A fireball erupts from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 12, 2023.
Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
US intelligence warned of the potential for violence days before Hamas attack
According to one source, while some training above ground was observed, it did not cause significant concern. The source mentioned that such training is common, so it did not appear unusual.
Another source, knowledgeable about recent intelligence, revealed that Iran has assisted Hamas in enhancing their operational security strategies over time. However, US intelligence does not believe that Iran directly planned the attack on October 7.
Israel had prior knowledge that Palestinian militants were utilizing hardwired communication systems before the October attack. During the Israeli military's incursion into the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank earlier this summer, a comparable type of communication system was encountered, as revealed by an Israeli official. In the course of "Operation Home and Garden," when Israeli forces advanced into the area, the Israel Defense Forces discovered secure, hardwired communication lines and closed-circuit surveillance cameras, which were used to provide advance notice of Israeli troop movements.
The IDF stated that it targeted a collaborative operational command center in Jenin, utilized by militant groups. They described it as a facility for "advanced observation and reconnaissance" and highlighted its significance as a hub for terrorist coordination and communication. Reporting by Oren Liebermann from CNN was included.
