In a posting on the X social media platform, independent journalist Caitlin Johnstone ridiculed the notion that Israeli intelligence now has the capability to intercept communications among Hamas operatives, but failed to detect Hamas planning and preparations for the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. At issue is a transcript of a conversation, included by Johnstone in her posting, in which the operatives say that the rocket that hit the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was fired by Islamic Jihad from a cemetery near the hospital.
“I cannot judge if the alleged intercepted conversation released by Israeli intelligence purported to be between two Hamas fighters discussing how the rocket which hit the hospital may have been Islamic Jihad’s, is real or not,” Johnstone writes. “All I’d like to highlight at the moment is the fact that it sure is interesting how Israel suddenly claims to have all this visibility into conversations between Hamas fighters about combat operations against Israel. Where was all this eavesdropping capability while Hamas was preparing a massive assault that wound up killing over a thousand people?
