Military Source Contradicts Ex-IDF Chief Eizenkot on Netanyahu's Awareness During 2018 Strike

A military source familiar with the protocols of the 2018 F-16 downing incident contradicted former IDF Chief of Staff and current MK Gadi Eizenkot's account, stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was immediately updated and approved the subsequent retaliatory strike. Eizenkot had claimed that for about two hours, he could not reach Netanyahu, leading him to independently decide on a broad strike in Syria.

Eizenkot had previously stated at a conference that after an Israeli F-16 was shot down over Syria, he, the head of Military Intelligence, and the Air Force commander decided on a large-scale attack. He recounted struggling to reach Netanyahu for one to two hours, with the military secretary advising him to proceed as he saw fit. Netanyahu, Eizenkot said, arrived at the Air Force Situation Room three to four hours later and backed the actions taken.

However, the military source asserted that protocols show a different sequence of events. On February 10, 2018, around 6:00 AM, an aircraft returning from Syria was hit by shrapnel and crashed in Israel. According to the source, Netanyahu was immediately informed and approved a pre-prepared strike plan targeting three Syrian radar sites and an Iranian target. This strike, the source claims, was executed by 6:20 AM.

Syrian reports mentioned strikes near Damascus around 9:00 AM that morning, after which the IDF announced a "large-scale" attack on three Syrian air defense batteries and four Iranian targets, totaling 12 targets. The military source added that Netanyahu scheduled a further assessment for 11:30 AM to consider additional responses, while Eizenkot believed no further action was needed until a 5:00 PM assessment. In that afternoon meeting, both Eizenkot and the entire General Staff, according to the source, agreed no further response was necessary, a recommendation also signed by then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

The 'Yisrael! Party' issued a statement calling the anonymous military source's briefing "lies" and "distressing," questioning how the source knew Netanyahu was awake and asserting that Eizenkot's account of the event is accurate and that he stands by it.