Israel warned of potential Hamas kidnapping operation years before Oct. 7, IDF col. claims - report

Col. (res.) Doron Hadar, who participated in hostage negotiations before October 7, told Kan News that mediators warned for years that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was considering a major kidnapping operation if no hostage deal was reached. Hadar stated that the understanding was that without progress, Hamas would take a game-changing step. The report comes amid controversy over a separate Haaretz report that PM Netanyahu received a warning from UAE President MBZ days before the attack, which Netanyahu denies.

Col. (res.) Doron Hadar, who participated in negotiations over hostages held by Hamas before the October 7, 2023 massacre, told Kan News on Thursday that mediators had warned for years that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was considering launching a major kidnapping operation. Hadar said that the understanding among mediators was that in the absence of a hostage deal, Hamas would take a game-changing step to alter its situation. He stated that over the years, messages from various mediators indicated that if no progress was made toward a deal, Sinwar was considering a major kidnapping operation to obtain other assets, though he gave no indication that specifics were provided in any of the warnings. The report comes amid controversy over a separate Haaretz report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a warning from UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan days before the October 7 attack that Hamas was planning a major operation. Netanyahu has strongly rejected the allegations and has instructed his lawyers to issue a libel lawsuit against Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar. The Prime Minister's Office stated that the story was completely fabricated and that there had been no communication between Netanyahu and the UAE from the start of September 2023 until the attack.