A joint report by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) has disclosed that the police thwarted a Hamas attempt to launch an attack on Tel Aviv on October 7 as part of their broader assault on Israel. The report states that a substantial police presence at the Yad Mordechai settlement prevented the militants from reaching the country’s second-largest city.
Captured Hamas militants, interrogated by the IDF, provided information leading to this conclusion. The Israeli police have also revised the death toll at the Nova music festival attacked by Hamas on October 7, now reporting at least 364 fatalities, up from the previous figure of 270. The arrested terrorists revealed that the attack was not pre-planned; they became aware of the festival once inside Israeli territory and began firing indiscriminately.
The updated number of festival casualties includes 17 police officers, with 40 festival attendees kidnapped and taken to Gaza. The festival site records the highest number of deaths on October 7, contributing to a total death toll that officials have stated exceeds 1,200.