OR Hamas originally planned to launch a large-scale cross-border attack against Israel in the fall of 2022, but delayed the invasion until Oct. 7, 2023, in an effort to convince Iran and Hezbollah to join the attack, according to a New York Times report, which cited documents from secret Hamas meetings which revealed Israeli forces in Gaza.
To convince Hezbollah, Hamas leaders invoked it “internal state” prevailing in Israel – which, according to the report, appeared to be about the internal political turmoil in Israel due to the government’s push to reform the country’s judicial system – as the main reason why “they were forced to move into a strategic battle ”.
According to the NYT, although it felt it had the support of Hezbollah and Iran, Hamas concluded that it may have to launch the attack alone before Israel develops a new air defense system.
Hamas tactics
The Palestinian Islamic movement is also said to have been motivated in part by its desire to disrupt the US-led initiative to establish relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The American newspaper adds that Hamas leaders tried to avoid major conflicts with Israel in the two years before the October 7, 2023 attack to “keep the enemy thinking that Hamas in Gaza wants calm.”
The NYT also reports that Hamas leaders in Gaza briefed then-leader Ismail Haniyeh on “the grand plan” – Hamas’ code name for the October 7 attack.