IDF lookout soldiers knew about Hamas invasion but were ignored

The email warned, ‘The sword is coming. The time to warn the people is now.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Thursday night, Channel 12 reported on an email sent by a female lookout soldier shortly before October 7th, issuing an explicit warning of an impending attack, a warning that officers ignored.

The email sent by a female sergeant from 8200 shortly before the Hamas invasion and massacre said: “The sword is coming. The time to warn the people is now.”

Several officers, including the intelligence officer of the Gaza Division, received the email but did not take action in response to the warnings.

The mainly female lookouts, known as tatzpitaniyot, provide a crucial service to the IDF and are often called, “The eyes on the border.”

Their task is to watch the border every second–without squinting or looking away for even the briefest moment, and to record what they see.

The writer of the email, like other lookouts, observed Hamas training terrorists and preparing for an attack against Israel.

“The training shows us that the ‘Jericho Wall’ plan is realistic and rehearsed, and Hamas already has forces practicing these scenarios and knows how to execute them when ordered.”

She continued, “It is likely that we will not be able to give a warning in advance sufficient to prevent the incident. This is the time for formulating coping strategies to minimize the damage when the event happens.”

The email continued, “The other side is determined to execute the plan. If the plan is activated – we are expected to fight a bitter and hard battle. ”

“The exercise resembles the plan that appeared in ‘Jericho Wall’ to destroy the Gaza Division’s defense system. The raid training into the country’s territory indicates that the ‘Jericho Walls’ plan is no longer just on paper.”

She concluded, “This email is like the horn sounding because the sword is coming – the time to warn the people is now.”

The writer of the email isn’t the only female lookout who voiced concern prior to October 7th and was ignored by officers.

“Why are we here if no one’s listening?” Shahaf Ashram, one of the first Nahal Oz lookouts killed by Hamas, complained to her mother Illana shortly before October 7th.

One lookout who called herself “Noa” said that when she tried to raise the alarm about the things they saw, they were told that their job was only to watch, and said, “We were just the eyes.”

However, Noa said that the lookouts knew that there was a “balloon that was about to burst” on the border.

What had started as a few men doing fitness exercises evolved into full military terrorist training on the border.

“We would see them practicing every day what the raid would look like,” said Noa. “They even had a model tank that they were practicing how to take over.”

Noa continued, “They also had a model of weapons on the fence and they would also show how they would blow it up, and co-ordinate how to take over the forces and kill and kidnap.”