Report: Hamas Threatens Another October 7-Style Attack Through UN Official

Senior Hamas officials have reportedly delivered a direct threat to Israel through United Nations humanitarian coordinator Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, warning that the organization is prepared to carry out another attack similar to the October 7, 2023, massacre. According to the message, potential attacks could extend beyond the Gaza Strip to targets inside Israel, in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and even abroad.

The threat was reportedly conveyed during a meeting between Alakbarov and senior Hamas representatives at his office in Gaza last week. On Wednesday, the UN official met with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Yoram Levy, and relayed the remarks.

Israeli officials described the warning as unusually explicit and direct. A document outlining the threat was urgently circulated among senior political and security officials.

According to the reported message, Hamas officials claimed that continued IDF operations in Gaza, changes to the Yellow Line separating areas of Israeli and Hamas control, and the Palestinian Authority's cancellation of planned elections were undermining the organization's position on the ground.

The warning comes amid continued Israeli military pressure on Hamas, including operations targeting members of its elite Nukhba force and other senior operatives.

At the same time, Hamas faces demands from the Board of Peace and international mediators to disarm. Israeli security assessments suggest that the organization is likely to seek delays and avoid fully surrendering its weapons. Israel, meanwhile, is not currently permitting the entry of the proposed technocratic administrative committee or Palestinian policing force into the Gaza Strip.

Hamas is also reportedly facing severe financial difficulties. According to Israeli security estimates, approximately 30,000 Hamas operatives in Gaza, ranging from lower-ranking members to personnel in its military wing, receive around NIS 3,000 ($800) per month. This represents an estimated monthly payroll of NIS 90 million, excluding the costs associated with approximately 50,000 employees of the Hamas-run administration.

Hamas officials have blamed Israel for the organization's deteriorating situation. The reported threat also comes against the backdrop of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's decision to cancel elections that had been scheduled for November 28.