An exhibition titled "Return to October" in Israel offers a detailed reconstruction of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, assault, featuring declassified Israel Defense Forces intelligence and planning documents. The exhibition, organized by the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center, aims to expose the extensive and organized planning that preceded the attack.
Spanning 600 square meters, the exhibition includes elements such as vehicles used in the attack, a film documenting the abduction of Israeli hostages, a replica of a Hamas tunnel, and excerpts from IDF footage of the massacre. Visitors can view materials that Hamas sought to keep hidden, including documents indicating Hezbollah's decision not to fully participate in the initial assault due to concerns about Israel's potential response. The collection also sheds light on the relationship between Hamas and Iran and the extent of Tehran's involvement.
According to Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence at the IICC, the exhibition's primary conclusion is that Hamas prepared for the invasion over a long period in a highly organized and professional manner, gathering extensive intelligence. He emphasized that the exhibit demonstrates that "Israel's enemies are constantly planning large-scale terrorist attacks. They seek to wipe us off the map, and if you become complacent and assume they are not preparing such attacks, you are mistaken."
The exhibition's initial section displays a map illustrating 114 points where terrorists breached the border into Israel on Oct. 7. It notes that approximately 4,300 operatives from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other groups entered Israel, followed by an additional 1,500 to 1,700 Gazans described as "uninvolved civilians." On display are weapons of various origins, including Egyptian, North Korean, Russian, Chinese, and Iranian-made arms, as well as those supplied by Hezbollah to Hamas.
Tour guides highlight a kidnapping kit recovered from the attack, containing handcuffs, electric shock devices, and syringes intended for sedating resistant hostages. A "spiritual kit" with a miniature Quran and a religious ruling encouraging the killing of Israelis is also presented. Personal belongings from Israeli homes destroyed during the attack are also exhibited.
Military equipment attributed to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is featured, alongside a handwritten document allegedly recovered by the IDF from a Gaza hospital. This document reportedly contains instructions from Sinwar for Hamas terrorists to attack Israelis, burn villages, kidnap people, humiliate soldiers, and document the events for social media. The document also indicates Sinwar's hope that Iran, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Arab populations in the West Bank and Israel would join the assault.
Further displays include aerial photographs used by Hamas to map Kibbutz Be'eri, identifying specific homes and security points. An operational plan dated Oct. 6, intended only for Hamas commanders to prevent leaks, and a booklet translating Arabic phrases into Hebrew are also shown.
The exhibition also addresses Hamas's use of educational materials and incitement, with displays of books, including copies of Mein Kampf found in schools, and photographs of children with weapons from Hamas summer camps. One section focuses on Hamas's alleged exploitation of journalists and UNRWA for terrorist purposes. Organizers claim that 60% of reporters killed in Gaza were Hamas members or affiliated with the organization. A map of Israel labels towns and cities with Arabic names.
A reconstructed garage area exhibits a white Toyota pickup truck and motorcycles reportedly used in the terror assault, with guides noting that many such vehicles were imported into Gaza through Israel's Ashdod Port.
Excerpts from the IDF's 47-minute compilation of raw footage from the attacks are shown, described as graphic and disturbing. The exhibition concludes with a corridor displaying the names and photographs of the 1,224 individuals killed on Oct. 7, followed by footage of Israeli hostages reuniting with their families and a painting depicting a hopeful future for southern Israel.