Netanyahu's October 7 Schedule Released, Showing Delayed Call to IDF Chief

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's schedule for the morning of October 7, the day of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel, was released, revealing that his first conversation with the IDF Chief of Staff took place three hours after the assault began. The schedule details Netanyahu's activities from 6:30 AM, when the attacks commenced, until 11:00 AM. During this period, he reportedly received initial security briefings and engaged in discussions with various officials, but the call to the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, was not logged until 9:30 AM. This revelation has sparked significant public and political debate regarding the leadership's response in the critical early hours of the invasion.

The release of the schedule comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of the decision-making processes and communication chains during the initial stages of the war. Critics have pointed to the three-hour delay in speaking with the military's top commander as evidence of a lack of preparedness and a failure in command and control. Supporters of the Prime Minister have argued that the schedule does not tell the full story and that other communication channels were active. However, the specific timing of the call to the Chief of Staff remains a focal point of discussion and criticism.