Had posts published on Hamas-affiliated Telegram channels weeks prior to the October 7 massacre been analyzed and monitored in Israel, the outcome of the events could have been very different, Lt.-Col. (res.) Jonathan Dahoah-Halevi argued in an article published recently by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
At the center of Dahoah-Halevi’s analysis is the figure of Maam Rashid al-Masri, also known as “Abu Hafs.” Al-Masri, a Hamas Nukhba terrorist, managed the Telegram channel named “Military Tactics” and co-founded the “Al-Qassam Brigades Dispatch” channel.
The content on the “Military Tactics” channel was not merely propagandistic. According to Dahoah-Halevi, the channel served as a platform for disseminating professional military literature from the Al-Qassam Brigades, featuring detailed guides on topics such as precision shooting training, sniping, camouflage and deception, checkpoint operations, infiltration, ambushes, and operational movement.
These channels were neither secret nor hidden — they were open and accessible to all. The “Military Tactics” Telegram channel even shared professional content showcasing the organization’s level of preparedness and operational capabilities.
During the critical hours before the attack, beginning at 12:20 a.m. on October 7, the channel posted a series of detailed messages that should have raised red flags, including: “We say to the Zionist enemy, [the operation] coming your way has never been experienced by anyone,” “There are many, many, many surprises,” “We swear by Allah, we will humiliate you and utterly destroy you,” and “The pure rifles are loaded, and your heads are the target.”
The final message in the series, posted at 12:26 a.m., read: “You have been warned. What is coming will be immense,” accompanied by symbols of fire and a green heart, which, according to Dahoah-Halevi, were both emblematic of Hamas and Islam.
However, Dahoah-Halevi further asserted that the warning signs appeared much earlier. As early as September 17, a message from the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed, “Expect a major security event soon.” The following day, on September 18, a direct threat was issued to residents of the Gaza border communities, stating, “Before it’s too late, flee and leave […] nothing will help you except escape.”
Threats become increasingly explicit
On September 19, another post said, “The enemy does not understand the language of words, so we speak to him in the language of fire and hell,” promising that “what will happen will be even greater.” On September 21, it was announced that “the decision has been made” and that the Gaza border area would be made “uninhabitable.”
As the date of the attack drew closer, the threats became increasingly explicit, according to Dahoah-Halevi. On September 29, an “urgent call” was issued for confrontation “at all points of contact.” On September 30, a post warned: “Be on alert; the time is near,” and on October 1, another message declared: “Our silence will not last […] time is running out.”
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