Ex-Netanyahu Aide Breaks Silence on Oct. 7 Failures, Protocol Tampering

Retired Major General Avi Gil, who served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary on the morning of October 7, 2023, has broken his three-year silence to speak about the events leading up to and during the Hamas attack. Gil, who documented everything in 16 notebooks, stated that the official report submitted to the State Comptroller did not reflect the full picture of the discussions and events he witnessed.

Gil revealed that recommendations for preemptive strikes in Gaza were made but not approved by Netanyahu. He also confirmed that shortly after the war began, he discovered an effort within the Prime Minister's office to alter protocols related to the events of October 7. Gil described this as a distortion of the truth and potentially a criminal act.

He detailed the critical hours of the morning of October 7, explaining that he woke Netanyahu at 6:12 AM after receiving intelligence indicating suspicious activity, though initial assessments suggested it was routine. He then connected Netanyahu to the Red Phone for a secure call at 6:40 AM, informing him, "We are at war." Gil emphasized that the military system acted independently before receiving explicit orders due to the unfolding situation.

Gil also addressed the issue of hostages, agreeing with former Operations Directorate head Nitzan Alon that it might have been possible to secure the release of all hostages earlier, suggesting political considerations may have hindered such efforts. He criticized the notion of betrayal, stating that while there were significant failures, the actions of security personnel were dedicated to protecting Israel.

Furthermore, Gil discussed intelligence received prior to the attack, noting that while there was no specific, pinpoint warning of the Hamas assault from Gaza, the security establishment had identified a weakening of deterrence and a different perception of Israel by its enemies. He also touched upon the arrival of an Egyptian intelligence aircraft in Israel shortly before the attack, suggesting a clandestine meeting occurred.

Regarding the attempt to alter protocols, Gil stated that he reported the incident to the Attorney General during the war, leading to clarifications of procedures. He expressed concern that the original recordings of conversations should be prioritized over transcriptions by any future investigative committee.