US Unaware of Hamas' Attack Plans, Kirby Defends US Approach in Israel-Hamas War

Israel Faces Scrutiny for Intelligence Failures, US Continues to Share Perspectives on Urban Warfare

US intelligence was not aware of a document obtained by Israel last year that detailed the plans for Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
Israel has come under intense scrutiny for the intelligence failures surrounding the bloody Oct. 7 attack.
Kirby defended the United States’s diplomatic approach in the Israel-Hamas war and would not commit to imposing any hard red lines on support for Israel.
Kirby said the U.S. has continued to share “perspectives and our lessons learned about urban warfare” with Israel and emphasized that the U.S. is not going to stop giving Israel security assistance that it needs.
Kirby also underscored the difficulty Israel has in minimizing civilian deaths when evidence has demonstrated that Hamas deliberately places civilians in harm’s way.