CIA intel about looming Hamas attacks did not reach Joe Biden — dismissed as routine

Rocket barrages launched towards Israel from Gaza.

REUTERS

• The CIA issued two reports warning the Biden administration of increased Hamas threats days before attacks.
• Neither Joe Biden nor other senior White House officials were briefed on the reports. 
• Egypt and Israel also had intelligence suggesting an upcoming onslaught. 

The CIA issued warnings about a potential escalation of Hamas attacks on Israel days ahead of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, say reports. 

Two reports warned of the looming coordinated attacks, said The New York Times. The first, dated September 28, indicated a heightened risk of violence and the possibility of rocket strikes by Hamas into Israel spanning multiple days. The second report, dated October 5, issued two days before Hamas carried out its attack, warned of an increased probability of violence from the militant group.

The warnings did not reach the desk of President Joe Biden or senior White House officials, according to CNN. The CIA did not consider the reports to have particular significance to policymakers. It has raised concerns about the communication process within the US intelligence community and its prioritization of threats.

Some sources suggest that the military friction between Israel and Hamas was not unusual, describing the reports as routine. The conflict has been characterized by a history of on-and-off violence, with occasional cease-fires. However, any escalation in the Israel-Gaza region carries significant implications.

The New York Times reported that several US officials, who spoke anonymously, described the reports as similar to other intelligence reports about the possibility of Palestinian violence that were written throughout the year.

US intelligence agencies have been focused on other international threats, primarily from China, Russia, and Iran, The New York Times reports. This strategic shift in priorities may have contributed to the lack of attention given to the intelligence on Hamas.

Israeli officials also had intel on increased Hamas activity but failed to put the border on high alert, per Axios.

Egypt also warned Israel of a possible Hamas attack approximately three days before it occurred, per Forbes. The level of communication and the extent of this warning's reach remain uncertain. 

 

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