A Channel 12 News report reveals the intense feelings in the Chief of Staff's office on the morning of October 7, 2023, the day of the horrific Hamas massacre which targeted the communities located near the Gaza border.
Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, commenting on the events of that day, stated that until 12:30 p.m., there was strategic panic in Israel over the possibility of another war front opening in the north.
"If Nasrallah had attacked now – we could have had Radwan pickup trucks in Haifa," Halevi was quoted as saying, thereby describing the anxiety over a combined attack by Hamas and Hezbollah.
According to the report, there was complete uncertainty in Israel regarding Hezbollah's intentions. Senior defense officials were troubled by a conversation that had taken place months earlier between the leadership of Hamas and Hezbollah, with the assumption being that there was a possibility of coordination for a combined attack.