Israel knew about Hamas attack plans a year ago, says New York Times

CCiting “documents, emails and interviews” to which it had access, the American newspaper stated that the plan described with great precision a surprise attack like the one carried out by the Palestinian Islamist group on October 7, which caused 1,200 deaths in Israel and more than 200 hostages.

The 40-page plan, codenamed ‘Wall of Jericho’, envisaged the use of drones to destroy security cameras along the border with the Gaza Strip, or the mass entry of militants on foot, motorbikes and paragliding, although it did not set a date for the operation.

Military officials in the region did not believe an attack of this scale was possible. It is unclear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other political leaders had access to the documents, the newspaper noted.

The Hamas attack led Netanyahu to declare war on Hamas and launch an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has already claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people.

Thursday was the seventh day of a truce, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which includes the release of hostages and prisoners and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

The temporary ceasefire was extended on Thursday morning for another 24 hours and it is unknown whether it will continue today.

Extending the truce would imply the release of an additional 10 Israeli hostages per day in exchange for the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, Qatar continues to work with regional and international partners towards a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

To date, 105 prisoners have been released in Gaza, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners, while Israel has released 240 Palestinian prisoners, all of them women and minors.

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