Ex-PM Aide Accused of Withholding Intelligence Before Oct. 7 Attack

Former Military Secretary to the Prime Minister, Major General Avi Gil, allegedly received significant intelligence about unusual activity in the Gaza Strip on the night of October 7 but did not wake Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Information obtained indicates Gil received multiple updates throughout the night but failed to relay them to the Prime Minister in real-time.

According to the report, Gil received a message at 3:55 AM detailing "unusual signs" in Gaza, including the activation of SIM cards and Hamas leaders descending into tunnels. This information, which could have signaled an unusual preparation by the terror organization, was not passed on to Netanyahu. Later, at 6:15 AM, approximately 14 minutes before the Hamas attack began, the Shin Bet security service sent Gil a focused warning about the impending assault. Despite the gravity and specificity of this intelligence, Gil reportedly still did not update the Prime Minister.

Netanyahu was only awakened at 6:29 AM, as the Hamas attack commenced. Even then, Gil allegedly only reported the start of the assault, withholding the intelligence he had gathered earlier. In a WhatsApp group for the Military Secretariat, Gil acknowledged the attack, with a response suggesting the events aligned with information received hours prior, raising questions about who received this information and why it was not relayed to the Prime Minister.

It was not until 6:44 AM, about a quarter of an hour after the attack began, that Gil reportedly shared the intelligence, including details received as early as 3:55 AM. This means nearly three hours elapsed from the first signs of unusual activity to the information reaching the Prime Minister. These revelations emerge as Gil is reportedly featured in a political campaign targeting Netanyahu, raising questions about his decision-making and the reasons for the delay in disseminating critical intelligence before the attack.