Released for publication: At midnight prior to the deadly October 7 invasion of Israel with its atrocities and massacre of at least 1,200 people, dozens of Israeli SIM cards were suddenly activated in Gaza, the IDF has confirmed.
The activation of the SIM cards by Hamas Nukhba commandos was picked up by Israeli intelligence, but what happened after that is far from clear.
What IS clear that at 6:30 am that morning, a nationwide barrage of rocket fire blanketing the Jewish State was used as cover by some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists and Gaza civilians who invaded Israeli territory, torturing and then slaughtering whoever they could find in some two dozen communities and several military bases along the border. In addition, 253 people were abducted and dragged into Gaza captivity. Of those, 134 hostages are still being held, including at least 31 who have been confirmed dead.
“The report of thousands of Israeli SIMS turned on at once is false and from from reality,” the IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement. “There were some indications, including dozens of SIMs activated, as they had been in the past.
“As previously published, on the night of October 7th, indicative signs were received for which situation assessments were conducted and operative decisions were made accordingly,” the IDF said.
“The indicative signs are based on a variety of tools and capabilities, including technological tools whose method of operation cannot be detailed,” the statement added.
Further details on the incident are still being withheld.
The IDF categorically denied a report that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi was notified about the suspicious Hamas activity six hours prior to the start of the October 7 massacre.
Halevi’s aide was updated at around 1:30 am October 7 by the Shin Bet and then by the IDF general who headed the Southern Command about the activation of the SIM cards and other suspicious signs.
When Halevi was awakened about two hours later, he ordered a situation assessment by telephone, which was held at around 5 am.
The head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, Major General Aharon Haliva, was on vacation in Eilat at the time. He was updated at around 3 am but did not participate in the consultations.
Israel’s Channel 14 News reported this weekend that 1,000 operatives from the Hamas terrorist organization’s Nukhba special forces unit simultaneously inserted Israeli SIM cards into their cell phones at midnight, prior to their October 7 early-morning attack on Israel.
According to the report, IDF intelligence immediately notified IDF Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, who allegedly did not follow up.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari issued an unequivocal denial in response to that report. “The claim that the Chief of Staff knew about a thousand SIMs that were turned on at midnight and did not inform anyone about it is a false accusation,” Hagari said.
“The events of the night preceding October 7 will be thoroughly investigated and presented transparently to the public,” the spokesperson added.
