Documents discovered by the Israelis and seen by The Times newspaper reveal Hamas plans to set up a secret base in Turkey where they could plan attacks against Israeli targets in neighbouring countries.

The files also suggest the terror group had plans to set up cells in other Nato countries to launch more attacks.

According to reports it is not known if the cells had already been established in Turkey before the October 7 attacks.

Destruction still remains after the October 7th Hamas attacks at Kibbutz Kfar Aza (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

According to the IDF, it found a document labelled “Founding a base in Turkey” in the home of Hamza Abu Shanab. 

Shanab is chief of staff to Yahya Sinwar, who is Hamas’s leader in Gaza.

According to the Hamas document it claims “there is no choice but to act with a major effort to establish military hubs which will be the base for special operations that can strengthen the forces of resistance militarily, diplomatically and morally. Therefore we suggest to establish a security branch abroad that will be capable of carrying out intelligence and military operations in the future.”

The three-year plan found in the home of Shanab outlines a plan that would involve “setting up many military cells and safe houses in many countries.”

It suggests the group also has plans to train military cells in different countries on the “practical planning of sabotage and assassination”.

The document sets its sights on targets such as “officers and commanders in Mossad” as well as “influential Israelis” in the public eye.

The plan, which also mentions how it would fund a base in Turkey, also details ambitions of “sabotage of Israeli naval vessels” and “kidnapping”.

Men ride in the back of a truck loaded with furniture and other items as they flee an anticipated Israeli assault (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)

The Turkish government has described Hamas as a “liberation group” and attacked Israel over its response to October 7 and the war in Gaza.

On Sunday it was reported that President Erdogan of Turkey said Benjamin Netanyahu, “has reached a level that would make Hitler jealous with his genocidal methods”.

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) meets Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (X/Twitter)

Erdogan spoke in support of the terror group, which he claimed was “a resistance movement.”

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara he claimed more than 1,000 Hamas militants were being treated in Turkish hospitals.

Erdogan also criticised the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the country’s decision to proscribe Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

While Erdogan allows Hamas to operate offices in Istanbul, he denies the group carries out terrorist operations from Turkey.

According to The Times, intelligence sources say that despite his public support for Hamas’s political leaders Erdogan does not want Turkey becoming a base for Hamas’s militancy.