Before October 7 – Nova security guard reveals details of warning

Former Nova festival security chief Elkana Federman said that a week before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, he received an audio recording from a soldier of the Gaza Division warning of possible unrest during Sukkot. Federman passed the information to his superiors, who assured him the situation was under control. He admitted he did not grasp the scale of the potential attack and criticized the authorities' approach, which relied on the ability to control the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Former Nova festival security chief Elkana Federman revealed details of a warning received about a week before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. According to him, on September 26, 2023, he received an audio recording from a soldier of the Gaza Division, who reported possible unrest during the Sukkot holiday. The soldier served near Be'eri, close to the festival site, and had heard hints from his division commander about potential disturbances in the Gaza Strip. Federman passed the information to higher authorities, who assured him the situation was under control. He assumed the information might have been checked through military channels. Federman admitted he did not grasp the scale of the potential attack and criticized the Israeli authorities' approach, which he believed relied too heavily on the ability to control the situation in the Gaza Strip. He noted that soldiers near the border noticed unusual Hamas activity, but these observations did not receive proper attention. Federman emphasized that the recording did not indicate precise knowledge of the planned attack but reflected soldiers' concerns. He only realized the emergency on the morning of October 7 when the rocket barrage began.