The IDF was more concerned with potential attacks and soldier kidnappings near the security barrier rather than it was with invasions into Israel, the report noted.
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IDF troops were told not to approach the barrier with the Gaza Strip on the eve of the October 7 massacre for fear that terrorists would carry out attacks and kidnappings in the area, Channel 12 reported on Wednesday.
This command was due to a shift in perception following the completion of the barrier in 2022, according to the Israeli news outlet, after which the main scenario deemed as a prime threat was that of terror attacks against IDF troops and their kidnapping in the barrier area with the Gaza Strip.
After this shift, the IDF considered an invasion into Israel as a secondary threat.
An additional factor that reportedly contributed to this shift was Operation Guardian of the Walls carried out against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2021, which led to a feeling of victory in the IDF.
According to Channel 12, prior to 2022, the IDF prepared for a scenario in which Hamas terrorists would infiltrate Israeli territory; however, this scenario was subsequently deemed of secondary importance.
The scenario for which the military readied was ‘A surprise raid by hundreds of terrorists deep into Israel, infiltrating communities and military outposts,’ according to the report.
The report claimed that then-Southern Command chief, Major-General Eliezer Toledano, received Hamas’s invasion plan, dubbed ‘Walls of Jericho,’ a few months following the change in the prepared-for scenario; however, no changes were made.
Military’s response
The IDF was cited by the Israeli channel as saying in response to the report, ‘During Major General Toladano’s tenure, the scenario remained unchanged, except for modifications he made, which included expanding the raid scenario to encompass up to eight infiltration points. This scenario was tested multiple times in exercises assessing the division’s readiness.’