Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu claimed in a post on Twitter that he had received zero warnings about the Hamas attack from the leaders of the Shin Bet and IDF intelligence, which set up a media frenzy in Israel.
Contrary to the misleading assertions, Netanyahu stated that he was never informed of Hamas’ plans to start a war or given any advance notice of them.
Contrarily, according to all security sources, including the leaders of Shin Bet and the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate, Hamas was discouraged. Up until the start of the conflict, all sources in the defense and intelligence communities repeatedly presented the prime minister and the cabinet with this assessment.
The comment was made by Netanyahu in response to questions he was asked during a press conference he conducted on Motzei Shabbos, the first time he has done so since the start of the conflict.
The prime minister was questioned over claims that the directors of Shin Bet and IDF intelligence specifically warned him about an increasing likelihood of war. The post sparked a barrage of criticism, notably from Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s new coalition partner.
On Sunday, in response, Netanyahu removed the post and later apologized, saying: “I was mistaken. I’m sorry for the remarks I made that were inappropriate after the press conference [on Motzei Shabbos]. I back all security agency leaders wholeheartedly. I stand in favor of the Chief of Staff, officers, and soldiers of the IDF who are defending our country from harm.
We’ll prevail if we work together.
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