Newly exposed documents show that Israel’s Defense Ministry, through the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), drafted and circulated a plan effectively legitimizing Hamas’s rule over Gaza—a mere four months before the terror group unleashed the horrific October 7 massacre.

Dubbed the “Hudna Plan”, the document was disseminated on June 11, 2023, by COGAT’s head, Maj.-Gen. Ghassan Alian, and outlined a strategic framework that granted Hamas de facto sovereignty over the Gaza Strip.

The roots of this fateful plan trace back to a May 2023 high-level meeting in Cairo, attended by representatives from the Shin Bet, IDF, and COGAT, where Egyptian officials proposed a long-term hudna (ceasefire) with Hamas. Upon their return, COGAT assembled a think tank comprising Shin Bet and IDF Southern Command officers, where the “Hudna Plan” was finalized. The document was then forwarded to then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, proposing a long-term arrangement with Hamas, believing that the terror group had assumed the role of a responsible governing body after refraining from escalating conflicts in 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls.

The prevailing view among Israel’s defense officials at the time was that there was a clear distinction between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)—with PIJ viewed as the primary aggressor in past conflicts. This misguided perception, the report suggests, contributed to a willingness to explore diplomatic engagement with Hamas rather than preparing for its imminent attack.

One of the most shocking details uncovered in the report is that COGAT’s Hudna Plan explicitly recommended “de facto acceptance of Hamas rule, and granting it permission to consolidate its influence in the Palestinian arena, along with expanding its regional ties.”

This proposal was not merely a theoretical discussion. It was widely circulated within the IDF and defense establishment’s highest ranks, sparking an internal meeting titled “The Security Regime in the Gaza Strip”, attended by all senior IDF commanders. It was at this meeting that then-IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, reportedly backed a broad hudna proposal and directed engagement with mediators to move forward.

A month later, in July 2023, Israel’s Security Cabinet convened for its first major discussion on Gaza. The National Security Council presented plans for preserving “long-term calm” with Hamas while working toward a civilian agreement with the terror group—provided that Israel’s phased conditions were met.

Just months after this plan was drafted and promoted at the highest levels of Israel’s security establishment, Hamas launched its bloodiest attack on Israeli soil, murdering over 1,200 innocent civilians, taking hostages, and shattering any illusion that it had “matured” into a governing entity.

The bombshell revelation raises profound concerns about Israel’s pre-October 7 security assessments, forcing difficult questions about how Hamas was able to so easily deceive intelligence and military officials into believing in a long-term ceasefire while secretly plotting a large-scale massacre.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)