In a stark revelation that sheds new light on one of the most devastating attacks in recent history, Israeli intelligence has uncovered a directive believed to be penned by the late Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel. This memo, coupled with intercepted communications, provides a terrifyingly clear picture of the group’s meticulous planning and brutal intent.
Table of Contents
- The Sinwar Directive
- Intercepted Communications: A Chilling Play-by-Play
- The “Jericho Walls” Plan
- Global Response and Legal Action
- Sources
The Sinwar Directive
The central piece of evidence is a handwritten memo, recovered from a fortified bunker in Gaza. Israeli officials are confident the order was authored by Yahya Sinwar, the powerful and now-deceased leader of Hamas in Gaza, who was an early architect of the group’s armed wing and is widely considered a chief architect of the October 7 attacks . The document is not a vague wish but a specific, brutal command.
It explicitly instructs Hamas fighters to target two key groups: Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and civilians in nearby communities. The directive goes a horrifying step further, ordering the fighters to document their violent acts and broadcast them to the world. This was not just an attack; it was a carefully staged act of psychological warfare designed to maximize terror and global media impact.
Intercepted Communications: A Chilling Play-by-Play
Supporting this written order are audio recordings of communications between Hamas commanders and their field operatives in the days and hours leading up to the attack. These intercepts, obtained by Israeli intelligence, capture the final, cold-blooded instructions being relayed.
The recordings confirm the memo’s contents, with commanders reiterating the dual focus on military and civilian targets. Analysts note a chilling sense of coordination and purpose in these calls, revealing a level of planning that had been underestimated by many intelligence agencies. The order to film and share the violence is a recurring theme, highlighting a strategic decision to use social media as a weapon of terror.
The “Jericho Walls” Plan
This newly revealed memo appears to be the final, actionable order for a larger strategic plan known as “Jericho Walls,” which had reportedly been in development since at least October 2021 . The overarching plan called for a multi-pronged assault involving a massive rocket barrage, drone attacks to disable Israeli surveillance and communication systems, and the ground incursion that ultimately took place.
The Sinwar directive can be seen as the execution order for this long-gestating plan, providing the final go-ahead and specific, brutal instructions for its implementation on that fateful Saturday morning.
Global Response and Legal Action
The revelations from the memo and communications have only solidified the international legal case against Hamas leadership. In September 2024, the U.S. Justice Department announced terrorism charges against senior Hamas leaders, explicitly holding them responsible for “planning, supporting, and perpetrating” the October 7 attacks .
Israel’s successful operation to eliminate Yahya Sinwar in October 2024 was a direct response to his central role in orchestrating the attack that claimed the lives of 1,139 people . The discovery of this memo serves as a grim posthumous confirmation of his culpability and the calculated nature of the atrocity.
Sources
- Yahya Sinwar | Hamas Leader, Death, Biography, & Facts – Britannica
- How did Israel kill Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar? What we know – Al Jazeera
- The Neglected Explanation of the Oct. 7 Surprise Attack – Lawfare
- Justice Department Announces Terrorism Charges Against Hamas Leaders Responsible for October 7 Attack – Department of Justice
