New Israeli Exhibit Unveils Years‑Long Hamas Preparations Behind Oct. 7 Attack

The “Return to October” exhibition provides an immersive reconstruction of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, blending video footage with declassified Israeli Defense Forces intelligence and planning documents recovered from Gaza that illustrate how the terrorist group planned and executed its cross‑border assault.

Spanning 600 square meters, the exhibit was assembled by the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring fallen members of Israel’s intelligence community.

The display includes vehicles used in the attack, a film depicting the abduction of Israeli hostages, a replica Hamas tunnel, and excerpts from the IDF’s 47‑minute compilation of raw footage from the assault.

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A Hamas kidnapping kit from the Oct. 7 attack—containing handcuffs, electric shock devices, and syringes meant to incapacitate resisting hostages—was on display at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

“The main takeaway from this exhibition is that Hamas prepared this terror invasion over an extended period in a highly organized and professional manner,” said Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center. “They amassed extensive intelligence over many years, and visitors can see concrete examples of that effort throughout the exhibit.”

He added that the exhibition’s most significant feature is the cache of documents seized by the IDF in Gaza—materials Hamas tried to keep concealed. These files reveal that Hezbollah opted not to fully participate in the Oct. 7 attack, fearing a major Israeli retaliation, and they also detail the depth of Hamas’s ties to Iran, including Tehran’s level of involvement.

“The most important lesson is that Israel’s adversaries are continually plotting large‑scale terrorist attacks,” he said. “They aim to erase us from the map, and assuming they are not preparing such strikes is a dangerous misconception.”

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Anti‑Israel and antisemitic Hamas incitement material was exhibited at the ‘Return to October’ display in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

The exhibition’s opening room features a map marking 114 points where terrorists crossed the border into Israel on Oct. 7. Red circles highlight the attacked communities, while a dotted red line traces the route where the assailants were ultimately halted. According to the exhibit, roughly 4,300 Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant operatives entered Israel at the outset of the assault, followed by an additional 1,500 to 1,700 Gazans characterized as “uninvolved civilians.”

The room also showcases Egyptian, North Korean, Russian, Chinese and Iranian‑made weapons, along with arms supplied to Hamas by Hezbollah.

Tour guide Eyal, whose surname was not disclosed, presented a kidnapping kit containing handcuffs, electric shock devices and syringes intended to sedate hostages, alongside what he described as a “spiritual kit” comprising a miniature Quran and a fatwa— a religious ruling—calling for the killing of Israelis.

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Personal belongings recovered from Israeli homes burned by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack are displayed at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

Another exhibit presents military gear formerly belonging to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, together with a handwritten document recovered by the IDF from the European Hospital in Gaza.

“Here, he directs Hamas fighters to strike Zionists, burn villages, kill and abduct civilians, humiliate soldiers, and record everything using GoPro cameras for social media,” Eyal said.

The document also notes that Sinwar hoped Iran, the Houthis, Hezbollah, Arabs in Judea and Samaria, and Arab citizens of Israel would join the assault.

Also on view are aerial photographs Hamas used to map Kibbutz Be’eri, pinpointing individual homes, the armory and the security chief’s residence; an operational plan dated Oct. 6 that was shared exclusively with Hamas commanders to avoid leaks; and a booklet translating Arabic phrases into Hebrew.

The exhibition also highlights Hamas’s education and incitement efforts. Shelves hold books recovered from Gaza, including copies of *Mein Kampf* discovered in schools, while photos show children posing with weapons after attending Hamas summer camps.

“It begins in childhood,” Eyal told Fox News Digital.

Displays purporting to show UNRWA facilities and personnel linked to terrorist activities were presented at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

Another section examines Hamas’s exploitation of journalists and UNRWA for terrorist purposes, featuring exhibits that organizers claim indicate 60% of reporters killed in Gaza were Hamas members or affiliates, a photograph of a UNRWA school allegedly used as a command center, and a map of Israel labeling towns and cities with Arabic names.

A garage‑style area displays a white Toyota pickup truck and motorcycles used in the terror assault.

“We found that 153 pickup trucks and 350 motorcycles entered Israel that day,” Eyal said. “Many of these Toyotas were brought into Gaza via Ashdod Port in Israel.”

Military equipment displayed at the exhibition that organizers say belonged to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was shown at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital.)

Another room offers excerpts from the IDF’s 47‑minute compilation of raw attack footage. Many journalists declined to view it due to its graphic nature, while some who remained left the room in tears.

Toward the exit, a corridor lists the names and photographs, in alphabetical order, of the 1,224 individuals killed during the attacks—including soldiers, police officers, civilians, Jews, Arabs, Christians, and Druze.

“When we fall short of our mission, this is the reality we face,” Eyal said.

The concluding room features footage of Israeli hostages reuniting with their families and ends with an optimistic painting portraying a thriving southern Israel.

Amelie Botbol is a freelance field reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel, who reports on Israel‑related news.

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