A troubling security lapse occurred near the Gaza border on Shabbos when an alert regarding unusual Hamas activity was not passed on in real time to security officials in nearby communities, according to a Channel 12 report.

Despite the lessons of October 7, residents living near the Gaza border remained unaware of what was classified as an “unusual security incident.”

The IDF had identified suspicious activity by Hamas terrorists that raised concerns about a possible security threat. Nevertheless, the information was not immediately shared with community security coordinators in the border region, leaving them unaware that alert levels had been raised. Only after hearing the gunfire did they contact the Gaza Division, where they were informed that it was “routine fire.”

The warning was also not promptly conveyed to the Israeli Air Force, which is responsible for providing the initial response to incidents of this nature. Several hours passed between the time the information reached the IDF and the time it was transferred to the relevant Air Force officials.

Officials in Southern Command placed responsibility for the delay on the Military Intelligence Directorate. The IDF said the incident is under investigation.

Security officials in Gaza-border communities reacted sharply. One official said, “They learned nothing from October 7. They are treating us exactly as they did then.”

“There is no such thing anymore as ‘routine fire’—not when Hamas is conducting exercises and not when there is an active warning,” he said. He added that once the IDF raised the alert level, local security coordinators should have been notified immediately so they could prepare emergency response teams and place them on standby.

In response, the IDF spokesperson said: “Recently, unusual activity was identified among several Hamas terrorists. As a result, an alert was raised, and all necessary measures were taken, based on a rigorous assessment and the implementation of the lessons of October 7.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)