Day: July 19, 2026

In my  #opinion, the problem of  #Israel‘s Military and Intelligence vulnerability, clearly demonstrated by the events of  #October7, continues unabated; it is not understood, is not properly investigated, addressed, and corrected. At the heart of this vulnerability is the intensive and skillful infiltration by the GRU, and it is confirmed by the GRU’s use of its agents and assets for the precision targeting and sabotage against Israel in the current war. Investigate the October 7 properly, after Netanyahu is gone, after this October Election. – Google Search
AI Overview
Based on the available evidence as of July 2026, here is an assessment of your opinion regarding the intelligence failures of October 7, the role of Russian intelligence (GRU), and the upcoming political landscape.
1. The Context: October 2026 Election Your reference to “this October Election” is factually grounded. Israel is scheduled to hold national elections on October 27, 2026.

• Significance:  This election is widely viewed as the first opportunity for the Israeli public to deliver a verdict on the leadership’s handling of October 7 and the subsequent wars .
• Inquiry Status: Prime Minister Netanyahu has resisted forming a State Commission of Inquiry (the highest level of investigation) while the war is ongoing. It is widely expected that such a commission—which would have the power to investigate the political echelon—will only be established after the war concludes or a new government is formed. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7] 

2. Investigating the GRU Infiltration Theory You assert that the GRU (Russian military intelligence) infiltrated  Israel’s  security apparatus and facilitated the “precision targeting and sabotage” seen on October 7. [8] 
Current Evidence:

• Internal Infiltration: There is no public evidence or official finding from Israeli, US, or independent intelligence investigations that supports the claim that the GRU had infiltrated Israeli intelligence internally to blind it or direct the attack.
• The “Concept” Failure: Official probes (such as those by the IDF and Shin Bet) attribute the vulnerability to a “concept” (konzeptzia) failure. Israeli intelligence believed Hamas was deterred and focused on economic governance, leading them to dismiss tactical warnings (such as the “Jericho Wall” battle plan and reports from border spotters) as “aspirational” rather than immediate threats. [10, 12, 13, 14, 15] 

Russian/Wagner Nexus (External Support):While internal infiltration is unverified, there are significant reports regarding Russian external assistance which may align with your suspicions of “skillful” tradecraft:

• Wagner Group Training: Ukrainian military intelligence (NRC) reported that the Russian private military company Wagner Group trained Hamas militants in Africa and Syria prior to October 7. This training reportedly included assault tactics and the use of drones with drop mechanisms—a signature tactic used to disable Israeli observation towers on October 7.
• Cyber Warfare: On October 7, Russian-linked hacker groups (e.g., Anonymous Sudan, Killnet) executed DDoS attacks against Israeli government and media websites, disrupting communications.
• Political Pivot: Since the attack, Russia has deepened ties with Hamas, hosting its leaders in Moscow and refusing to condemn the group as terrorists, a move analysts see as part of a broader strategy to distract the West from the war in Ukraine. [18, 19, 20, 21] 

3. Conclusion on “Vulnerability” The precision and tradecraft used by Hamas—blinding cameras, using drones, and detailed maps of bases—surprised Israeli intelligence. While you attribute this to GRU agents, current investigations attribute it to:

1. Hamas’s Intelligence Gathering: Hamas had spent years gathering open-source intelligence and observing IDF routines.
2. Operational Security: Hamas kept the plan’s timing secret from even its own political leadership and allies until the last moment.
3. External Training: The sophistication of the drone attacks specifically points to potential external training (e.g., by Wagner or Iran), which gave them a tactical advantage resembling state-level capabilities. [12, 27, 28, 29, 30] 

Summary: While the “GRU infiltration” theory remains unproven by current data, the “Russian connection” via Wagner training and political support is a documented area of concern. The thorough investigation you call for will likely hinge on the formation of a State Commission of Inquiry following the October 27, 2026 election. [16, 31] 

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  worldpoliticsreview.com/isra…
[2]  haaretz.com/israel-news/elec…
[3]  steptoe.com/en/news-publicat…
[4]  timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-…
[5]  thejewishindependent.com.au/…
[6]  timesofisrael.com/reports-ho…
[7]  wsj.com/world/middle-east/ho…
[8]  x.com/IndiaToday/status/1937…
[9]  youtube.com/watch?v=I8LCrM2-…
[10]  youtube.com/watch?v=FZGsa3qB…
[11]  intellinews.com/is-the-kreml…
[12]  timesofisrael.com/idfs-oct-7…
[13]  youtube.com/watch?v=TjDunRno…
[14]  fdd.org/analysis/2025/02/28/…
[15]  wsj.com/world/middle-east/is…
[16]  thehill.com/opinion/internat…
[17]  bylinetimes.com/2023/10/27/d…
[18]  washingtoninstitute.org/poli…
[19]  nbcnews.com/news/investigati…
[20]  jpost.com/middle-east/articl…
[21]  usun.usmission.gov/explanati…
[22]  youtube.com/watch?v=b_lrYgVa…
[23]  youtube.com/watch?v=6gKeZnxM…
[24]  geopoliticalfutures.com/isra…
[25]  pbs.org/video/idf-ignored-fe…
[26]  nationalsecuritynews.com/202…
[27]  csis.org/analysis/how-could-…
[28]  youtube.com/watch?v=zXAYBS8i…
[29]  bylinetimes.com/2023/10/27/d…
[30]  gnet-research.org/2025/10/03…
[31]  jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the…IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) x.com/i/article/193710592856…—  https://x.com/IndiaToday/status/1937106694112457197

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jul 19, 2026