Hamas warns Israel of a new attack on the scale of the one on October 7

Gabriel Dumitrache

22 October 2026, 11:54

International

Foto: Shutterstock

Always see our news on Google

Hamas reportedly warned Israel that it could face a new attack on the scale of the one on October 7, 2023, according to the Israeli website ynet, cited by dpa. The information could not be independently verified.

The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, COGAT, confirmed that the threat was reportedly conveyed to one of its officials during a meeting with the UN envoy for the Middle East, Ramiz Alakbarov. He spoke last week with senior Hamas members. Israel’s political leadership and security services were reportedly informed immediately.

The message was reportedly linked to the fact that the Israeli army continues to control more than half of the Gaza Strip, one year after the ceasefire was announced, as well as to the cancellation of the Palestinian elections scheduled for November. According to ynet, Hamas reportedly suggested that an attack could take place in Israel, the West Bank, or abroad.

On October 7, 2023, the Hamas attack caused the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israel and the abduction of more than 250 people. The war that subsequently broke out in Gaza has resulted in more than 74,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Hamas-controlled health authorities.

Experts, however, doubt that the group still has the operational capacity for a similar action after three years of war. Hamas is reportedly recruiting new fighters, but they would have limited military experience.

Context: Before this new warning, Israel had already been the subject of controversies regarding warnings received before October 7, 2023

Previously, several investigations reported that leaders and intelligence services in the region had allegedly warned Israel about the risk of a major attack before October 7, 2023. These included an investigation cited by The Atlantic, according to which the head of Egypt’s intelligence service, Abbas Kamel, allegedly warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 26, 2023, with a limited window to prevent a “catastrophe.”

At the same time, Haaretz published information about a phone conversation between Netanyahu and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, approximately a week and a half before the attack, and Netanyahu announced that he would file a defamation complaint. Meanwhile, the internal debate in Israel intensified with the accusations made by Sara Netanyahu, who suggested that opposition leader Yair Golan had “known” about the attack, provoking strong reactions from the opposition.