Ex-Netanyahu Aide Claims Gaza Assassination Plots Were Rejected, Denies Personal Failures
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Gil also confirmed that political considerations, specifically from ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir, hindered hostage deals, implying hostages could have been saved earlier. The Likud party accused Gil of deflecting from his own failures, claiming he ignored early warnings on October 7th. Netanyahu's office released a statement that appeared to contradict previous accounts regarding the intelligence received that morning.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former aide Avi Gil claims Gaza assassination plots were rejected and call logs were falsified.
- Gil stated political considerations by ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir delayed hostage deals.
- The Likud party accused Gil of lying to deflect from his own failures on October 7th.
- Gil confirmed that hostages could have been saved earlier due to political reasons.
- Netanyahu's office issued a statement that seemed to contradict earlier accounts of intelligence received.
- Gil affirmed a war warning given by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to Netanyahu in July 2023.
Retired Major General Avi Gil, who served as Prime Minister Secretary on October 7th and prior, stated in a Channel 12 interview that recommendations for targeted assassinations in Gaza were made but ultimately rejected by leadership due to broader considerations. Gil affirmed a report from August 2024 by Nadav Eyal concerning a war warning given by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to Netanyahu in July 2023, though Gil clarified there was no specific, focused warning from Gaza.
Gil also corroborated Eyal's report about alleged protocol violations in the Prime Minister's office during the war, where Gil claimed stenographic records were being collected. He stated he approached the Attorney General about this, seeking to clarify procedures. Gil further detailed an incident in January where a stenographer reported being instructed by the chief of staff to alter the timestamp of a crucial 6:40 AM call on October 7th to 6:29 AM, an act Gil described as falsifying the truth and an attempt to manipulate narratives. He reported this to the Attorney General in writing.
Responding to questions about why no indictments were filed for what he described as "criminal conduct," Gil deferred to the police. He also addressed the possibility of saving hostages who were later killed, stating "we could have." When asked about discussions where ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir opposed a deal, Gil confirmed that gaps developed over time between security recommendations, potentially the Prime Minister's wishes, and the decisions or recommendations of his ministers, suggesting hostages could have returned earlier for political reasons.
Gil also touched upon intelligence received from the Emirates and Egypt, stating he was not in the office for a meeting with the Emirates and was unaware of specific meetings, though he speculated about the purpose of an Egyptian plane's visit. He recounted the night of October 6-7, noting that rare is the case when a prime minister decides against the consensus of security chiefs, and that the military secretary is the designated channel for such communications.
The Likud party responded to Gil's statements, accusing him of attempting to deflect from his own failures on October 7th with lies. They claimed Gil knew about the impending attack but chose not to wake the Prime Minister, citing a 3:55 AM message he allegedly received detailing signs of an imminent attack, which he purportedly ignored.
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