Avi Gil Says Netanyahu’s October 7 Account Misrepresents Events, Warns Transcripts Were Altered

Gil challenges Netanyahu account

Maj. Gen. (res.) Avi Gil said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 55-page account of the failures that led to the October 7 attacks "does not reflect what really happened," and Gil warned that official transcripts may have been altered.

Gil challenges account6 of 9 outlets reported it · not in Alaian and 2 more▾

Gil said he began noticing, two weeks into the war, that people in Netanyahu's inner circle were "disproportionately" collecting material, and he said he then contacted the attorney general to clarify guidelines about stenograms.

Gil said Israel Police began investigating whether senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office attempted to change protocols of cabinet meetings held during the war and transcripts of phone calls made by decision-makers, including Netanyahu.

Police investigation alleged3 of 3 outlets reported it▾

Gil said one of the suspects investigated by police was Netanyahu's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and Gil warned that the conduct could reflect a narrative that Netanyahu was the only one who functioned when the October 7 attacks started.

Gil said any commission of inquiry should insist on receiving the full tapes and not the transcripts, because he said, "I don't know what's been altered."

Call for full recordings4 of 5 outlets reported it · not in وكالة صدى نيوز▾

Reporting for this sectionHaaretz

Calls, transcripts, and accusations

Gil revealed that 11 minutes separated two telephone conversations he held with Netanyahu on the morning of October 7, with the first call at 6:29 a.m. and the second at 6:40 a.m. Gil believes an attempt was made within Netanyahu's office to change the time of the first call in the official records, and Gil argued that changing the time could create a false impression about when intelligence was known. Gil told Israel Hayom and Channel 12 that he had remained silent until now in the hope of testifying before a state commission of inquiry, and Gil said, "There are too many lies in the air, and the public deserves to know the truth."

Gil alleged a Prime Minister's Office stenographer was instructed by Netanyahu's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, to change the recorded time of Gil's first call with Netanyahu on October 7. Netanyahu's Likud party responded to Gil's interview by calling it "fabricated political propaganda" aimed at bringing down Netanyahu and Likud.

Reporting for this sectionIsrael National NewsThe Times of Israel

Warnings, elections, and stakes

Gil referred to a document Netanyahu submitted to the State Comptroller's Office on February 5, and Gil said the document "includes transcripts of security meetings and other documents" covering a period from Operation Protective Edge up to the morning of October 7.

An investigative report compared a 55-page document Netanyahu presented to the public in February with original copies kept by security agencies, and the report said Netanyahu deleted parts and altered phrasings and contexts in sensitive intelligence reports.

The investigation described warnings presented by the head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet), then-Roni Bar, and it said warnings intensified on September 10, 2023, when Bar reported Israel faced an "extremely dangerous and unprecedented security situation."

NPR said Israelis grapple with reports Netanyahu was warned before Oct. 7 attacks, and NPR quoted a bereaved Israeli father who yelled out at a memorial ceremony, "You didn't protect my son,".

NPR said Netanyahu denied he was warned and called the reports "fake news," while NPR reported that Netanyahu and his defense minister issued new warnings that Hamas could try to attack or "challenge" Israel on the Oct. 7 memorial day and leading up to national elections later this month.

Reporting for this sectionJudia Al-QudsNPR