Israeli media outlets published what they claimed was the text of a message sent by the commanders of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Marwan Issa, to the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on the morning of October 7, 2023, coinciding with the start of the attack on Israel.

They alleged that the message was found in one of Hamas’s headquarters at an underground site in Gaza, long after most of the signatories had been killed.

They also indicated that the message reveals the mastermind behind the attack and details of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” plan.

According to Hebrew media, the message begins with: “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To the brother mujahid, Hassan Nasrallah, may God protect him and grant him success. Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.”

Palestinians on an Israeli Merkava tank after crossing the border fence with Israel on October 7, 2023.

The message then moves to the core subject: “When you read these words, thousands of fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades will already have set out to attack targets of the criminal Zionist occupation. They are shelling enemy positions, gatherings, airports, and key sites in the southern area of occupied Palestine. They will storm the separation wall to confront occupation forces, seize military and civilian positions, and capture large numbers of occupation soldiers.”

Apology for the surprise

In one paragraph of the message, the three commanders apologize to Nasrallah for not informing him in advance of the timing of the attack: “You understand the difficulty of the security situation and the enemy’s intelligence capabilities, and therefore the greatest challenge for us was achieving the element of surprise. This required a very high level of secrecy even within the leadership ranks, especially those based abroad. We hope you will forgive us for not including you in the secret.”

The commanders then describe Israeli crimes in Al Aqsa Mosque: “We have seen, and the world sees, how occupation soldiers dragged Muslim women on the ground without fear of exposing their bodies. How they attacked worshippers while they were standing in prayer before God. How groups of settlers poured into Al Aqsa and performed their Talmudic rituals.” They add: “We will not forget the demolition of homes, the displacement of Jerusalem’s residents, and settlement plans in Jerusalem and its outskirts.”

The message also indicates that Hamas was closely monitoring decisions of the Israeli cabinet, specifically the meeting of August 22, 2023, which authorized the prime minister and the defense minister to continue operations: “The enemy will enter into conflict with Arab citizens inside Israel over weapons, crime, and unlicensed homes. It will enter into conflict with Jerusalem, the West Bank, Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, and Gaza.”

What did they request from Nasrallah?

At the end of the message, the commanders specify what they want from Nasrallah: “We believe you should act quickly and participate. A concentrated rocket bombardment on the vital arteries of the occupation in a massive barrage that disrupts and exhausts the Iron Dome. Bombing airports, military leadership centers, and strategic targets, which would paralyze the air force and drain Iron Dome missiles.”

They add: “This will put the enemy into a state of shock and fear, and this situation will be suitable for launching a major ground offensive to control the land and its population.”

Warning against hesitation

In another paragraph, they warn Nasrallah: “Dear brother, the cost of any hesitation will be enormous and unbearable, both for our plan as a whole and for you and the Islamic Republic. Because the enemy will try to restore deterrence against Iran and Syria. The consequences of hesitation will be beyond what can be endured and beyond imagination.”

The newspaper Maariv commented on the message, saying: “Nasrallah made the mistake of his life when he hesitated and did not engage at 6:30 in the morning on October 7. He thought he was the smart man who knows Israel well, but he misread the map and did not understand the situation until it was too late, when his bunker collapsed on him.”