U.S. Intelligence Warned Biden in Advance of Hamas Attack: CNN Report
In recent weeks, the United States intelligence community provided critical assessments to the Biden administration, warning of a forthcoming attack by Hamas. These assessments were delivered before the unprecedented incident, which witnessed Palestinian militants breaching the Gaza fences on the 7th of October. According to sources familiar with the matter cited by CNN, these reports were primarily based on intelligence furnished by Israel.
On the 28th of September, one of the assessments forewarned of Hamas’ intentions to escalate the situation by launching missiles at Israel. A more recent assessment, on the 5th of October, issued a general warning regarding the escalating potential for violence. However, neither of these reports contained tactical specifics or indications of a massive attack planned by Palestinian resistance groups.
The Palestinian territories and Israel are regarded as “hotspots” that receive nearly daily intelligence briefings from senior U.S. officials. CNN reported this information from sources knowledgeable about the situation.
On the 6th of October, U.S. officials shared Israeli reports concerning unusual movements by Hamas, just one day before the attack on Israel.
Similarly, regional Arab allies issued multiple high-level warnings and assessments, all of which reached the Biden administration. These warnings have raised questions about why neither Israel nor the United States took action to prevent the Hamas attack.
One source familiar with the intelligence stated, “The problem is that none of this is new. This is a historical norm between Hamas and Israel. I think what happened is everyone saw these reports and thought, ‘Yes, of course. But we know what this will look like.’”
These reports emerge amid Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza, which intensified when Gaza-based militants breached its southern border over the weekend, attacking Israeli military bases, soldiers, and causing the loss of over 1,300 lives.
In response, Israel launched a relentless retaliation campaign, subjecting the Gaza Strip to round-the-clock airstrikes while imposing a complete blockade that has prevented water, food, and electricity from reaching around 2.3 million Palestinians.
The current Israeli assault on Gaza has entered a critical and dire phase, characterized by an evacuation order issued by Israel for 1.1 million Palestinian civilians from the northern Gaza strip. This has triggered concerns about an imminent ground invasion, with casualties continuing to mount.
According to the Health Ministry, over 1,900 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza, including 614 children, with an additional 6,388 individuals wounded. Alarming statistics reveal that children and senior citizens account for 60 percent of the casualties, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.
