Nova security received warning of 'trouble on Sukkot' week before October 7, security chief says
"I’ve also heard from the division’s chief warrant officer, who’s hinting to me that there’s going to be trouble during Sukkot,” a guard told Elkana Federman, security chief for the Nova festival.
Nova security chief Elkana Federman disclosed that he received a warning of potential trouble along the Gaza border a week before the October 7 massacre. The message, recorded on September 26, 2023, was from a security guard in the IDF's Gaza Division who was also working at the Nova music festival. The guard told Federman about possible unrest during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, noting that the situation in the Gaza sector was tense.
Federman shared the recording with higher authorities, who assured him that everything was under control. Despite not believing Hamas was fully deterred, Federman did not anticipate an attack on the magnitude of October 7. He criticized the flawed assumptions that guided Israel's approach before the massacre, questioning the notion of creating a utopia in Gaza.
Federman emphasized that the recording did not prove specific knowledge of the attack, but rather reflected the concerns of soldiers on the ground. He acknowledged that his limited role as a civilian prevented him from taking more decisive action. Federman expressed that only after the attack began at 6:29 a.m. on October 7 did he realize the unusual circumstances unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
