Netanyahu Blames Former Shin Bet Chief for October 7th Intelligence Failures

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again denied reports, notably from The Wall Street Journal, claiming he received a warning from Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel days before the October 7th Hamas attack. In a social media post on Monday, September 28th, Netanyahu stated he had no meetings or conversations with Kamel in the months leading up to the attack and that Israeli intelligence did not relay any warnings from Egypt. He announced his intention to file a defamation lawsuit over the report, emphasizing that he never meets foreign intelligence chiefs without Israeli colleagues present.

Netanyahu then shifted blame to former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, accusing him of failing to warn the prime minister about signs of the impending attack. Netanyahu asserted that Bar spoke multiple times with then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and head of Military Intelligence Aharon Haliva on the night of October 7th, discussing alarming intelligence. However, Netanyahu claimed Bar did not contact him, nor did he order the evacuation of participants at the Nova music festival or alert local defense teams and army units. Netanyahu pointed to Bar's deployment of a small Shin Bet special unit, "Tequila," to the south as proof that the Shin Bet chief was aware of the real danger.

Netanyahu also accused "left-wing media" of trying to shift responsibility for Bar's actions onto him, and alleged that foreign states and unnamed "hostile forces," including Arab nations, are seeking to destabilize his government. He previously vowed to sue The New York Times over a report about an alleged warning from the UAE president, though no lawsuit had been filed at the time of this report.

Ronen Bar, in a statement filed with the High Court in April 2025 regarding his dismissal, denied that the Shin Bet had prior knowledge of Hamas's plans and withheld the information. "We did not hide anything on October 7th. I asked to inform the Prime Minister at 05:15," he stated, calling the allegations of concealment lies and "organized incitement." Bar maintained that the Shin Bet had warned political leadership throughout 2023 about the deteriorating security situation and adversaries seeing an opportunity due to societal divisions. He claimed to have told Netanyahu in July 2023 about the need to convey the gravity of the situation, comparing it to a war warning.

Bar provided a timeline of the night before the attack, stating that the commander of the Southern Military Command was notified of the "Tequila" unit deployment at 01:33. At 03:03, the Shin Bet issued a warning to various agencies about unusual Hamas activity and potential offensive intentions. A meeting led by the Southern Command chief occurred at 03:12, after which military units received operational directives. Bar himself arrived at Shin Bet headquarters at 04:30 and instructed his aide to notify the prime minister's military secretary at 05:15. Bar acknowledged that intelligence received that night was misinterpreted, with Hamas activity mistaken for preparations for Israeli actions or, at worst, a localized attack. He emphasized that Shin Bet personnel and Yamam counter-terrorism special forces deployed to the south were saving lives, with some casualties among them. A total of 12 Shin Bet employees died on October 7th and in the subsequent days.