Civilian intelligence officer Rafael Chiun said today (Monday) in an interview on Galei Yisrael with Shai Goldstein and Uri Melamed that he identified around 150 armed Hamas terrorists moving on pickups in southern Gaza shortly before the ceasefire took effect, but that the strike came too late and the targets escaped.
"About an hour before the ceasefire I break into one of Hamas's cameras in the southern Strip. I identify about seven pickups, about 15 on each pickup, all of them armed," Chiun recounted.
He said that after identifying the armed men, he passed the footage to the relevant authorities: "I pass the footage to whoever needs it in Southern Command and in the units that are supposed to deal with this thing: 'Guys, we have here an opportunity for a huge achievement, to eliminate about 150 terrorists on pickups.'"
Chiun claimed that following the transfer of intelligence, an aircraft was sent to the area, and he was even sent footage from it. "They put up an aircraft, they even send me a photo from the aircraft: 'Rafael, we're on them.' Less than 40 minutes left to the ceasefire and they say: 'Let us carry it out.'"
But according to him, at that stage an order was received to replace the aircraft that was over the target: "They tell them by order to bring down the aircraft and put up a different aircraft."
Chiun said the strike was eventually carried out, but according to him the first missile missed the target and the terrorists scattered from the location.
"In the end they carry out the operation. They miss with the first missile and everyone runs in all directions. The second missile hits the vehicle when there's no one in it."
According to him, after the incident an IDF spokesperson announcement was published regarding a strike on terrorists on pickups. Chiun claimed it was the same target he had identified and passed to security officials: "I'm the one who brought this target, so I know it up close. Unfortunately no one was eliminated there."
