Hamas issues 'unprecedented' warning it is prepared to carry out a repeat of the October 7 massacre

Published: 14:39 EDT, 22 October 2026 | Updated: 14:45 EDT, 22 October 2026 Hamas has threatened to repeat the October 7 massacre in an 'unprecedented' warning to Israel, as the terrorist group faces mounting pressure to disarm. The group said it would be prepared to unleash violence against targets in Israel, Judea, Samaria and abroad whenever the opportunity arises, according to the chilling message.UN humanitarian coordinator Dr Ramiz Alakbarov was tasked with conveying the threat to the Israeli leadership by senior Hamas officials, who met him last week at his office in Gaza, Ynet reported. They informed Alakbarov that Hamas was struggling financially and losing control over the Gaza Strip, largely due to continuing Israeli military operations and the shifting of the Yellow Line demarcating the border with Israel. Hamas has also grown frustrated by the actions of Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, who cancelled the elections scheduled for the end of November.Alakbarov is understood to have met Major General Yoram Halevy, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), to pass on the warning.Insiders are said to have described the threat by Hamas as 'unprecedented' in its directness. The threat comes just after Israel announced a Hamas terrorist who took part in abducting and killing Shani Louk on October 7 had been killed in an air strike in northern Gaza. Hamas has threatened to repeat the October 7 massacre in an 'unprecedented' warning to Israel, as the terrorist group faces mounting pressure to disarm Hamas issued the threat as the group continues to refuse to surrender its weapons. Pictured: Men transporting food packages in Gaza City on ThursdayTamer Muhammad Ibrahim al-Sabbagh was the final member of a Hamas cell deemed responsible for the 22-year-old Israeli civilian's death. Three other Hamas cell members were killed earlier in the conflict, while one has been captured by Israeli forces.Infamous photos taken by AP freelance photographer Ali Mahmud showed a half-naked woman, later identified as the German-Israeli, lying unconscious face-down in the back of a pickup truck in Gaza.Footage spread of her being paraded through the streets of Gaza by a group of armed men, becoming one of the symbols for Hamas' atrocities and raising concern over her welfare. The tattoo artist was kidnapped from the Nova music festival near Re’im on October 7, 2023, and died in the Gaza Strip.In late October 2023, forensic examiners confirmed Ms Louk's death after they identified a piece of her skull.Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers operating in Gaza located Ms Louk’s remains in May 2024 and returned her to Israel for burial.According to the IDF, al-Sabbagh had carried out advanced attacks on Israeli troops and civilians and acted to restore Hamas’s capabilities 'in systematic violation of the ceasefire'. 'The terrorist was eliminated in order to remove the threat he posed,' the IDF said. Elsewhere, the Board of Peace and international mediators have repeated demands for Hamas to disarm. The condition is necessary for the US-brokered ceasefire, which calls for eventual reconstruction of the territory. But little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree terms for Hamas to surrender its weapons and Israel to withdraw its troops.Israeli airstrikes have stepped up in recent weeks. At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, according to the territory's health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people during the October 7 atrocities.