CNN analyzed footage that was released by Hamas and its affiliates over the last two years and discovered that the group had been preparing for the recent attack on Israel for months. The videos showed Hamas fighters training at six different sites across Gaza, two of which were located very close to the border with Israel. Satellite imagery did not indicate any offensive Israeli military action against these sites. The camps also expanded onto surrounding farmland for training purposes. Israel’s security apparatus has faced criticism for failing to pick up on and prevent the attack, especially considering Hamas trained openly for two years. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by stating that Hamas has had many training areas and that Israel has struck many of them over the years. Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus of the IDF also mentioned that Israel has had no major escalation with Hamas in over two years. However, CNN reported that five of the training sites do not have civilian features and are constructed similarly, with large earthen berms surrounding cinderblock and cement buildings. When presented with coordinates of the camps, the IDF declined to comment due to ongoing military operations. Hamas official Ali Baraka confirmed that the group had been preparing for the attack for two years, and metadata from the videos supported this timeline. The videos also showed Hamas militants practicing with paragliders, using the same location for take-offs as they did for testing their drones. The footage also depicted them practicing assault tactics on mock Israeli buildings and streets, as well as capturing and restraining prisoners.
Hamas Militants Receive Training for Deadly Attack in Close Proximity to Israel’s Heavily Fortified Border
