Israel has released documents allegedly written by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other commanders, detailing explicit plans to carry out and broadcast the mass killing of civilians on October 7, 2023. The files include a six-page memo attributed to Sinwar—killed by Israeli forces last year—and intercepted communications from Hamas operatives.
According to Israeli intelligence, the documents provide proof of premeditated mass murder designed not only to inflict casualties but to psychologically terrorize Israelis. A copy of Sinwar’s memo, obtained by The New York Times, calls for fighters to deliberately target both soldiers and civilians. It also instructs them to film the atrocities and distribute the footage to incite further violence and fear.
Intercepted battlefield communications back up the claims. In one recording, a Hamas commander orders: “Kill everyone on the road.” In another, fighters are told to “document the scenes of horror” and “slaughter them. End the children of Israel.”
A more extensive analysis from Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center further outlines how Sinwar viewed the attack as part of a broader regional strategy. He hoped the assault would spark a multi-front war involving Hezbollah, Israeli Arabs, and uprisings in Jerusalem and the West Bank. He also wanted the graphic footage of killings, burning homes, and desecrated bodies to demoralize Israelis and embolden Islamist militants across the region.
Despite these ambitions, Hezbollah stopped short of a full-scale invasion, and Israeli civilians and soldiers quickly mobilized to push back the Hamas onslaught.
The Israeli foreign ministry published an image of the memo on X, saying the release was meant to remind the world why the war began, especially as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire takes effect. The October 7 massacre sparked a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, many of which condemned Israel even before the full extent of Hamas’s atrocities became public.
By releasing the documents now, Israeli officials hope to counter ongoing efforts to rewrite the narrative and emphasize that the war was a response to one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in the country’s history.
