'Hide the October 7 Plan from Me' – Netanyahu Opens Fire on Army Chiefs and 'Shin Bet'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held the heads of the armed forces, the "Shin Bet," and military intelligence responsible for the October 7 attack, saying: "If I had been awakened on October 7, everything would have changed!" according to his statement.

According to Netanyahu, "There were very many indicators and signs on October 7 confirming an imminent attack, and the Chief of Staff Herzli Halevi, the Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, and the Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haleva were all aware of them."

He added in televised remarks that "The obvious course under such circumstances is to immediately awaken the Prime Minister, but they did not do so and concealed it from me because they believed Hamas was deterred and would not launch an attack, and they were avoiding any large-scale move to prevent an uncalculated escalation."

Netanyahu continued: "They also knew exactly what I would have done if informed: I would have mobilized the entire Air Force and army, and issued immediate orders to eliminate anyone approaching the fence."

According to Netanyahu, "Their fear" of his reaction is what led them to withhold the information, adding: "If I had been awakened and informed at that time, the scenario of today would have changed completely," in his assessment.