Overview
- Channel 12 reporting, cited by Israel National News, says a warning about activation of a significant weapons-related system in northern Gaza was emailed to Unit 8200’s Yarkon base a day before the assault and was not phoned in as protocol requires.
- Because the message arrived on the eve of the Simchat Torah holiday, the Gaza Division did not check the inbox and the alert went unseen.
- Overnight, additional unusual indicators accumulated, yet situation assessments at the division, Southern Command and the chief of staff level did not include the unread alert.
- Earlier in the week, related intelligence was classified as routine; the Gaza Division intelligence officer, identified as Lt. Col. A., labeled the activity a Hamas “show of force,” did not brief senior command, and was later dismissed by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
- VINnews reports that Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva was unreachable for hours during early updates as aides delayed waking him and calls went unanswered, with senior officers' attempts to reach him failing.