Hamas sent the signal for the attack on October 7, 2023 through emoticons

The Islamist group Hamas used emoticons to communicate the signal to begin the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, according to a report from the Israeli television channel N12, citing sources from the Israeli army. The emoticons were found on the phones of members of the elite unit Nukhba Forces, confiscated by Israel on the day of the attack. Following this attack, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250 hostages, a major conflict began in Gaza.

Hamas mobilized fighters through messages sent in mosques and gathering points, where they received instructions and combat equipment. Additionally, the fighters equipped themselves with Israeli SIM cards, the activation of which was observed by the Israeli internal security service Shin Bet. Although there had been previous attempts at similar attacks, they did not materialize.