Hamas has been intensively planning to destroy Israel, especially after Israel’s military operation called Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021. A recent report from an Israeli think tank, The Mair Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, reveals that this objective gained urgency with support from Iran and Hezbollah. Yahya al-Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks, played a significant role in these plans.
The report outlines a series of communications between Hamas leaders and Iranian officials. In June 2021, al-Sinwar, along with other top Hamas figures, sent a letter to Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force. They expressed their determination to achieve “the great victory and the removal of the cancer,” referring to Israel, and requested $500 million for their efforts over two years.
On the same day, they also wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, claiming that Israel was weaker than perceived and asserting their belief that they could uproot it with divine assistance. This sentiment continued in subsequent correspondence, including a letter in July 2021 where al-Sinwar boasted that resistance forces were on the brink of a significant victory that would affect the entire region.
By September 2021, al-Sinwar held a conference in Gaza titled “The Promise of the End of Days — Palestine After Liberation.” He discussed the governance of a future Palestinian state and outlined plans for what to do after defeating Israel, including economic considerations and violent directives regarding Jewish populations.
In June 2022, al-Sinwar sent a detailed letter to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, proposing three potential scenarios for attacking Israel. The first scenario involved a coordinated effort with Hezbollah and support from forces in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, along with attacks from inside Israel. The second scenario focused on leading an assault with Hezbollah and West Bank Palestinians to undermine the Abraham Accords and weaken the Palestinian Authority. The third scenario suggested minimal support from Hezbollah.
Later that month, al-Sinwar sought permission to station 250 Hamas fighters in Lebanon to prepare for an invasion of Israel. In July 2022, Haniyeh reported that a meeting between Hamas and Hezbollah leaders confirmed the feasibility of the first scenario, which aimed at ending Israel’s existence.
Fast forward to April 2023, al-Sinwar expressed confidence that Hamas in Gaza could change the Middle East’s landscape. By June 2023, during a visit to Iran, a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps noted the potential for removing Israel from the map, emphasizing the growing strength of Hamas.
The October 7 attack came just months after these discussions, marking a significant escalation in Hamas’s long-held goal of destroying Israel. As Israel considers its next steps in the ongoing conflict, experts suggest that defeating Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime is essential given the threats posed by these groups.