Hamas docs show exit clause existed

Internal records from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades suggest Hamas leaders weighed abandoning the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel if certain conditions were met. The documents, reviewed in a recent Al Jazeera investigation, outline a specific trigger for cancellation linked to Israeli military conduct in the West Bank and Palestinian prisons.

The investigation, broadcast on the program The Hidden is Greater, cites a meeting held on February 11, 2023, to discuss the operation, which was codenamed Project Fahd. The group leader in Gaza at the time, Yahya Sinwar, and the head of the armed wing, Mohammed Deif, reportedly attended. Both men were killed by Israeli forces in 2024.

The meeting notes state the plan would be abandoned if Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the prisons ceased. The document describes the decision to proceed as a response to what it called Israeli violations. It notes that the brutality at Al-Aqsa had reached unacceptable levels and that the treatment of prisoners was similarly harsh.

Political tensions also feature in the records. The document claims there were no signs of progress and accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of backtracking on previous agreements. The stated operational objective was to defeat the enemy’s Gaza Division, which handles military operations along the Gaza border. Capturing as many Israeli soldiers as possible was also listed as a goal.

Middle East Eye reported it could not independently verify the contents of the document. The assault on October 7, 2023, killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the capture of 251 people. Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza killed at least 73,000 Palestinians over two years.

A US-brokered ceasefire in 2025 aimed to end the conflict and ease the siege on Gaza. However, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily attacks and demolitions. The country has expanded its occupation of territory in the strip, forcing the population into less than half of Gaza. At least 1,500 people have been killed since that ceasefire took effect. Israel has also maintained sweeping restrictions on aid deliveries, keeping essential supplies out of reach.

The investigation also released previously unseen footage of Deif. The clips show him attending meetings in tunnels and visiting a rocket-manufacturing facility. No public images of Deif existed before the 2023 attack. He led the al-Qassam Brigades from 2002 until his death in an Israeli air strike in July 2024. During his tenure, the group grew from a guerrilla force into an organization with an estimated 30,000 fighters.