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While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East
Author(s): Yaakov Katz (Author), Amir Bohbot (Author)
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press
- Publication Date: September 2, 2025
- Language: English
- Print length: 336 pages
- ISBN-10: 1250345685
- ISBN-13: 9781250345684
Book Description
NOW A NATIONAL BESTSELLER!
“Crisply written… draws on excellent sources within Israel’s military and intelligence services.” ―The Wall Street Journal
A powerful indictment of the political and military decisions that led to October 7
While Israel Slept tells the gripping inside story of how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. Through a detailed examination of the events leading up to October 7, 2023, the book exposes the intelligence and strategic failures that enabled this devastating invasion. It takes readers back in time, showing how years of complacency, mistaken intelligence analysis, and a misguided policy of containment enabled Hamas to prepare for an assault that Israel did not believe was possible and that would change the Middle East.
The book unveils the dramatic events of the night before the attack, highlighting the cracks in Israel’s military and political leadership. It provides unprecedented details on how key warnings were missed, and how Israel ignored the growing threat from Hamas, believing that the group was weak and deterred. By exposing these failures, While Israel Slept offers a stark, sobering account of how overconfidence and complacency paved the way for disaster, while underscoring the critical lessons Israel must embrace to safeguard its future.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“An important account of Oct. 7 and the road to the disaster.”
―Jerusalem Post
“A worthy contribution to the literature of Middle Eastern geopolitics.”
―Kirkus
“[An] excellent new book.”
―Bret Stephens, New York Times
“A shocking, detailed, and gripping investigation of the Israeli catastrophe of Oct. 7, 2023, by two of the country’s best journalists. A necessary book for anyone hoping to begin figuring out what happened and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
―Matti Friedman, author of Spies of No Country and Pumpkinflowers
“A clear-eyed post mortem… Not only are the recommendations critical for Israel’s security but the warning about the cost of a divided nation is grist for America as well.”
―Wendy Sherman, former U.S. deputy secretary of state
“How could it happen? While Israel Slept tells the gripping, painful story of what led to Israel’s failures on October 7- and what must be done to prevent it from ever happening again.”
―Elliott Abrams, former U.S. deputy national security adviser and special representative for Iran
“This searing, sobering, eye-opening book is necessary reading for anyone who wants to understand what happened on October 7 and why — and for everyone who cares about Israel’s future.”
―Sarah Hurwitz, author of Here All Along, former White House speechwriter
About the Author
Amir Bohbot is the military editor and senior defense analyst for Walla, Israel’s leading news website. Amir previously covered military affairs for Maariv, one of Israel’s high-circulation daily newspapers, where he worked for 12 years.
Bohbot is a popular lecturer on security and defense issues in Israel and is often interviewed by local radio and TV news stations. Bohbot has a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Ben-Gurion University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Intelligence Studies at Bar Ilan University. He lives in Lehavim with his wife and their three children.
