Hamas October 7 plans included 'elite' squad attacking a prison - report
A team of 23 terrorists from Al-Qassam Brigades reportedly were meant to attack Shikma prison in Ashkelon but did not make it due to a 'defect'
Hamas planned to reach a maximum security prisoner in southern Israel, during its October 7 surprise infiltration, sources from the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday night.
According to the report, a squad of 23 "elite" members of the Al-Qassam Brigades were meant to attack Shikma prison in Ashkelon and if successful another Hamas squad would join them, but eventually did not make it due to a "defect."
“The group actually set off towards Ashkelon and crossed the border, from the direction of the [Kibbutz] Yad Mordechai, and there it clashed with an Israeli force and killed a number of its members, but for a reason that is still unknown, the group deviated from its path towards Kibbutz [Netiv HaAsara],” one of the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The report went on to describe an after action investigation, blaming a "guide" that was responsible for the group's movements according to maps and a GPS assigned to him, but an unknown "defect" led the group towards the Kibbutz and later to Sderot.
“The plan to storm the prison was carefully drawn up and in sufficient detail,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. Akin to many aspects of the Hamas-led massacre of 1,200 people, mostly civilian men, women, children and elderly, as well as the abduction of about 253 hostages, including entire families.
The prison escape plan was meant to start on the main gate with “explosive devices, anti-personnel and anti-armor missiles,” as well as attacks on guard points along the wall, followed by rocket bombings launched from the Gaza Strip toward the area, “when a signal was given by the group.”
In the end, the plan would have depended on prisoners being able to also carry out attacks based on the guards being distracted, with the goal of the prison break being a "mini version" of what happened on the border.
Ashkelon is a city with a population of about 132,557 and about 8 miles from the Gaza border fence, the prison a few miles closer as its located in the southern edge.