By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Before the October 7, 2023 terror onslaught, Israel was weighing a semi-official recognition of Hamas as the legitimate governing entity in the Gaza Strip, according to a bombshell report.

Israel’s Hebrew-language Channel 12 News TV broadcast obtained a copy of a secret internal IDF document, titled Program for ‘Long-Term Truce’ in the Strip, which was discussed by senior military leadership in June 2023.

The plan, which was written by COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) head Major General Ghassan Alian, “called for recognizing Hamas rule in Gaza, [and] granting it sovereignty,” in a form akin to “a state,” Channel 12 reported.

Israel would “in practice” accept “Hamas rule” in the Strip, including granting the terror group “permission to entrench its influence on the Palestinian front, alongside a broadening of its ties with regional players,” the document added.

The report contained several indicators of Hamas’ long-term deception of Israel, showing that the terror group had tricked the Jewish State into believing it was interested in avoiding further fighting.

“Hamas is deeply concerned about an escalation into another conflict at the current time,” Channel 12 quoted the document as stating. “It is very troubled by this, including the hawkish leaders and the military wing.”

The Israeli government cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly agreed to accept the plan during a July 2023 meeting — just three months before October 7.

The cabinet said it was interested in “advanc[ing] the civilian arrangement with Hamas, while insisting on maintaining Israel’s demands… in coordination with the stages defined by COGAT,” Channel 12 reported.

At the same meeting, Israel’s National Security Council published similar plans for Israel’s strategy vis-a-vis Hamas, which were said to promote “an effort to maintain long-term calm, examining long-term solutions for prolonged stability.”

The IDF, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Channel 12 News.