Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s office on Thursday released a detailed, minute-by-minute account of his actions during the opening hours of the October 7 attack, seeking to counter what it called “inaccurate reports published recently.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu was first informed that an attack was underway from the Gaza Strip at 6:29 a.m., when his military secretary contacted him with an initial update.
A second conversation with the military secretary took place at 6:44 a.m. During that call, Netanyahu questioned why the intelligence presented to him beforehand had contained no indication of what was unfolding. He also asked officials to determine whether a broad call-up of reservists was needed and raised the possibility of eliminating senior Hamas leaders.
At 7:30 a.m., once the prime ministerial convoy was ready, Netanyahu left for the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. While traveling there, he spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who, according to the Prime Minister’s Office, told him that officials still lacked a clear understanding of the scope of the attack. Netanyahu directed that a formal situation assessment be assembled in the IDF command bunker with him presiding.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu reached the Kirya at approximately 8:00 a.m., although Shin Bet records put his arrival at 8:22 a.m. From 8:30 until 9:30 a.m., Netanyahu sought and received intelligence briefings as well as continuing reports from the battlefield through members of the military secretariat.
At 8:40 a.m., Gallant brought together IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar to develop a clearer assessment of the unfolding crisis before meeting with Netanyahu. The Prime Minister’s Office said that at 9:47 a.m., Netanyahu’s military secretary received for the first time a document summarizing a situation assessment that Bar had conducted at 5:15 a.m.
Eight minutes later, at 9:55 a.m., Netanyahu convened a broader security assessment inside the IDF command bunker. Participants included Gallant, Halevi, Mossad Director David Barnea, Bar, National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi and the head of the IDF Operations Directorate.
During that meeting, according to Netanyahu’s office, the prime minister ordered Israel’s border with Gaza completely sealed in an effort to stop terrorists from bringing hostages into the Strip and to prevent additional terrorists from infiltrating Israel. Netanyahu also rejected an IDF proposal for a limited reserve call-up and instead directed the military to carry out a full mobilization.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu additionally ordered that a wartime directive be issued and instructed the security establishment to prepare for the possibility of fighting on Israel’s northern front. After the broader assessment concluded, Netanyahu continued with a more restricted security consultation alongside Gallant and Halevi.
{Matzav.com}
