TEHRAN – For the first time, details of the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation carried out by the armed wing of Hamas have been revealed. 

In the first series published by Al Jazeera, the al-Qassam Brigades revealed never-before-seen footage of the al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023.

Entitled “What is Hidden is Greater,” the footage highlights the Hamas military leadership meetings, how the operation was executed, and the events that followed. 

It also showed rare footage of the al-Qassam Brigades commander, Muhammad Deif, fully visible and standing on his feet (dismissing reports of his injuries) inside the military operations room, putting the final touches on the attack plan.

Deif, addressing military commanders, said, “We must change the course of history to be the vanguard in this stage and achieve a day of God’s days when the banners will be raised.”

The episode also presented secret documents, including the operation order signed by Deif on October 5, 2023, setting the attack time at 6:30 AM on October 7. 

It also outlined key Israeli military bases to be targeted, such as Yiftach, Nahal Oz, and Kissufim.

The footage featured scenes with Hamas political bureau head Yahya Sinwar, who played a key role in directing the resistance during the war, alongside a special testimony from Ezzedin al-Haddad, a member of the al-Qassam Brigades’ general military council and commander of the Gaza Brigade.

Al-Haddad stated in an interview conducted under complex security conditions that the military leadership had been in constant session since October 1 to coordinate the timing and supervise the operation. 

He added, "The Israeli occupation leadership, empowered by America and the West, will have no choice but to comply with our just demands to stop the aggression and withdraw completely from Gaza.”

In the early hours of October 7, thousands of fighters breached the wall separating Gaza from the occupied territories. 

The documentary highlighted scenes of al-Qassam fighters inside their tunnels, planting explosive devices and detonating Israeli vehicles. It also showed elite fighters capturing an Israeli Namer armored personnel carrier.

According to the program, the operation resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli soldiers and officers. 

The episode also presented exceptional documents and testimonies from within the military operations room, showing precise coordination between the leadership of al-Qassam and the execution of the operation. 

It shed light on Israeli efforts to target resistance leaders, including al-Haddad, whom Tel Aviv identified as one of the main figures behind the Al-Aqsa Storm operation.

The investigation revealed the depth of planning that characterized the operation, reviewing its details, which saw a surprise and complex attack by the al-Qassam Brigades on Israeli settlements and military bases in Gaza’s perimeter. 

The wall separating Gaza from the occupied territories was breached, and simultaneous ground, sea, and air attacks were executed.

Footage showed al-Qassam forces storming an Israeli military base and taking control of tanks and military vehicles belonging to the occupation army. 

The program also documented scenes of the bodies of Israeli soldiers killed during the clashes, as well as rare footage of the detonation of explosive devices planted by al-Qassam fighters to target Israeli military vehicles.

The footage included testimonies from al-Qassam fighters who participated in the raid. 

One fighter who took part in the storming of the Be’eri kibbutz narrated details of the clashes inside the kibbutz, confirming that the fighters spared the lives of civilians and only fought those who engaged with them.

The fighters also revealed details of the operation to capture Israeli soldiers, which was carried out according to an independent security plan. One fighter noted that the number of prisoners was large, necessitating heavy Israeli reinforcements, which led to the intense bombing of the kibbutz and its complete destruction.

The program pointed out the operation was the result of a complex strategic deception. The al-Qassam Brigades managed to mislead the Israeli military into believing it would not respond to Israeli escalation in the West Bank and Gaza.

The program also revealed footage of Hamas political bureau head Yahya Sinwar, directing military operations against Israeli forces penetrating Rafah in southern Gaza. 

It documented moments when Sinwar was leading several successful ambushes and operations against the Israeli occupation forces in the genocidal war that followed. 

The footage showed Sinwar moving between ambushes against Israeli troops and with Palestinian fighters as well as planning military operations with field commanders. 

It also showed him standing in front of an Israeli armored personnel carrier after it was targeted, affirming the resistance’s determination to continue the struggle until victory is achieved.

The episode released by Al Jazeera presented a comprehensive and detailed account of one of the boldest and most complex military operations in the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Through exclusive scenes and rare interviews, it revealed unprecedented details about the planning and execution and highlighted the role of field leaders and fighters during the operation.

Since the start of the war, the number of occupation army casualties, including officers and soldiers whose names were released, has reached 841 deaths, in addition to 5,656 injuries.  

However, Palestinian and Israeli reports suggest that the actual toll is higher.

Israeli Channel 12 noted that the material presented on the program revealed the extent of the intelligence failure during what it described as “Black Saturday.”

The Hebrew news outlet stated unprecedented details about the operation revealed intelligence held by Hamas before October 7, highlighting the extent of Israeli security blindness.

The Israeli channel also highlighted the scenes documenting the movement of Sinwar, disguised in Rafah and planning the resistance from the southern city of the enclave. 

In one video, Sinwar is seen examining maps inside a house in Rafah, which was previously used by Israeli occupation forces.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv pointed out that the footage showed Sinwar was not afraid to roam the streets of Gaza during the war.