Hamas documents reveal plan to halt October 7 attack if Israel met terms
Internal records show leadership set specific conditions, including a stop to violence at Al-Aqsa, that would have suspended the planned offensive.
By Ethan Cooper ·
Hamas leadership considered aborting its October 7, 2023, offensive if Israel adhered to prior understandings, according to internal meeting records released Friday. The documents, obtained by Al Jazeera’s program The Hidden is Greater, outline specific conditions for canceling the operation codenamed Project Fahd. The plan stated it would be dropped if Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and in prisons ceased. This condition was discussed in a February 11, 2023, meeting attended by Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, and Mohammed Deif, head of the al-Qassam Brigades. Both figures were killed by Israeli forces in 2024.
The records describe the decision to proceed as a response to escalating Israeli actions. The document noted that brutality at Al-Aqsa had reached unacceptable levels and that prisoner treatment remained poor. It cited a lack of political progress and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of backtracking on previous agreements. The operational goal was defined as defeating the enemy’s Gaza Division, the military unit responsible for border operations. Capturing a maximum number of Israeli soldiers was also listed as a primary objective.
The investigation includes rare footage and documents detailing Deif’s life and command structure. Previously unseen video shows Deif in a tunnel meeting with military commanders, many of whom have since died. Other clips depict him visiting a rocket manufacturing facility and operations rooms. Before the 2023 attack, no public images of Deif existed, and little was known about his health following seven Israeli assassination attempts. He led the al-Qassam Brigades from 2002 until his death in an air strike in July 2024. During that period, he oversaw the expansion of the group into a quasi-military organization with an estimated 30,000 fighters.
The October 7 assault killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the capture of 251 people. Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza has killed at least 73,000 Palestinians over two years. A 2025 US-brokered ceasefire aimed to end the conflict and facilitate Israeli withdrawal, but violations have continued. Israel has carried out near-daily attacks and demolitions, expanding its occupation and restricting aid deliveries. At least 1,500 people have died since the ceasefire took effect, forcing the population into less than half of Gaza.
