Ex-Netanyahu Aide Claims Protocols Were Altered, Warns of 'Betrayal'

Major General Avi Gill, who served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary until six months after the October 7th Hamas attacks, has spoken out for the first time since the massacre. Gill, the official who woke Netanyahu on the morning of the attack, stated in an interview with Israel Hayom that there are "too many lies in the air" and that the public deserves to know the truth. He warned against attempts to falsify protocols, asserting, "I kept an original copy of the protocols" to ensure accuracy. Gill expressed disappointment that a state commission of inquiry has not yet been established to investigate the events, stating, "This is not my truth. This is the country's truth."

Regarding Egyptian intelligence, Gill mentioned that an Egyptian intelligence plane landed in Israel for over an hour shortly before the attack, suggesting it was either for a meeting or to deliver sensitive information. He implied that whoever received this information failed to report it, and that this information was being concealed. Gill also revealed that early in the war, he noticed "disproportionate material gathering" by the Prime Minister's staff. Concerned, he approached Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to clarify guidelines on handling stenographic records of discussions.

Three months later, Gill was informed by a stenographer that Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman had allegedly asked her to alter the time of a crucial conversation Gill had with Netanyahu on October 7th. Gill characterized this as a "criminal pattern of behavior" by individuals who believe they are above the law, suggesting it might have been an effort to construct a narrative that Netanyahu was the sole functioning leader during the initial chaos. He further posited a more severe scenario: if intelligence indicating the impending attack existed by 6:29 AM, and this was not fully conveyed to the Prime Minister in their initial conversation, it could constitute "betrayal."

The Likud party responded to the interview, calling it part of a "false and political propaganda campaign" against Netanyahu and the Likud, aimed at toppling the right-wing government and establishing a left-wing government that would create a Palestinian state. They reiterated that Prime Minister Netanyahu received no prior warning of the Hamas attack from Gaza. The party also claimed that others who saw the signs in real-time on October 7th failed to act, not updating police, emergency teams, kibbutzim, soldiers, or partygoers at the Nova music festival, and that if Netanyahu had been properly informed, events would have unfolded differently.