Israeli soldier's warnings ignored before Hamas attack

In Israel, on the night of October 7, a soldier serving in the Gaza Division intelligence headquarters observed unusual intelligence signals, indicating a possible Hamas attack. Despite his repeated warnings to senior officers, his concerns were disregarded. The soldier, referred to as R., remained vigilant at his post throughout the night alongside another female soldier. Their attempts to alert commanders were met with indifference; female officers advised R. to 'go back to sleep'. Major figures such as intelligence officer A. and division commander Brig. Gen. Avi Rosenfeld were present but failed to address the warnings effectively. An intelligence review later highlighted that had numerous alerts been consolidated on a single map, the imminent threat might have been recognized. Additional intelligence alerts received by Unit 8200, which were also ignored, formed part of a broader pattern where crucial warning signals were overlooked. Investigations revealed that the Gaza Division's special warning model did not account for a large-scale incursion by Hamas, suggesting a systematic failure in recognizing risks that could have mitigated or prevented the disastrous events that unfolded. Just prior to the attack, lookout soldiers, primarily women known as tatzpitaniyot, had observed and recorded suspicious activities along the Gaza border. Reports indicated that Hamas operatives trained openly and engaged in various tactical drills, such as detonating explosives near the border wall and rehearsing kidnappings. Despite relaying these observations and showing due vigilance, these soldiers felt their worries were dismissed, leading to feelings of frustration and helplessness. Shahaf Ashram, one of the lookout soldiers killed during the attack, expressed this despair in a message to her mother shortly before October 7, questioning why she and her peers were positioned at the lookout if no action was taken based on their reports. Another lookout, identified as Noa, emphasized their role as merely 'the eyes', implying a lack of agency despite available intelligence. The testimonies from these individuals, coupled with the insights from the intelligence failure at headquarters, reveal a critical misstep in the military's preparedness for an unprecedented assault from Hamas, marking a significant lapse that has drawn severe criticism towards Israel's military leadership.