Herzog Praises Police for Saving Israel on October 7

President Isaac Herzog presented awards to 20 police officers for their distinguished service during a ceremony at his residence, acknowledging the chaos that gripped Israel's security forces on October 7. Speaking at the event, Herzog recalled the tragic events and alluded to the performance of state institutions, a remark potentially aimed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Channel 7.

"It is no secret that on the day of the disaster, there was complete chaos, and many systems ceased to function," Herzog stated. "Israeli police officers were the first to understand what was happening, the first to react, arrived at the scene, and engaged the enemy, saving many lives. October 7 was the most difficult and darkest day in our history, but the Israeli police saved the State of Israel from a catastrophe many times worse."

This comes after former senior security officials expressed confusion regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu's statements that he was intentionally not woken to avoid misjudging Hamas militants' actions. The Prime Minister's Office, calling the reports unreliable, provided a detailed timeline of Netanyahu's actions on the morning of October 7. Media reports also indicated that approximately 6,000 Hamas militants, including about 3,800 from the elite "Nukhba" unit, crossed into Israel during the October 7 attack, while another thousand fired on Israeli positions from Gaza.