Israel has uncovered a memo attributed to deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, outlining instructions for the October 7, 2023, attack that included targeting civilians and broadcasting atrocities. The document, disseminated in 2022, was found in a bunker after another Hamas leader's assassination in 2025. It contradicts Hamas's assertions that the assault focused mainly on military targets.
The six-page memo, obtained by the New York Times, was discovered in a bunker following the assassination of Hamas leader Muhammed Sinwar in May 2025. Document expert Sima Ankona confirmed that the handwriting matches other known writings by Yahya Sinwar, who was killed earlier. The memo was shared with Hamas commanders in August 2022, over a year before the attack.
According to the Times, the document directs fighters to target both soldiers and civilian communities, while broadcasting violent acts to instill fear in Israelis and destabilize the country. It specifies preparing "two or three operations, in which an entire neighborhood, kibbutz, or something similar will be burned," using gasoline or diesel from a tanker to set homes ablaze. Although it lacks explicit orders to kill or kidnap civilians, the instructions emphasize arson against residential areas.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas commanders echoed these directives in intercepted communications by the Israel Defense Forces. For instance, a Gaza City battalion commander named Abu Muhammed transmitted: "Start setting homes on fire. Burn, burn. I want the whole kibbutz to be in flames."
This revelation undermines Hamas's claims that the attack was primarily aimed at the Israeli military, highlighting premeditated intent to terrorize civilian populations.