Israeli Police Believe They Have Evidence Against Netanyahu Aide in Oct. 7 Records Case

Israeli police believe they have gathered sufficient evidence to prosecute Tzachi Braverman, chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for allegedly altering official documents related to the early hours of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. However, Israeli media reports suggest that an indictment remains unlikely. The investigation centers on the timing of the first phone call between Netanyahu and his then-military secretary, Avi Gil, on the morning of the attack. Investigators suspect Braverman of changing the recorded time in official documents from 6:40 AM to 6:29 AM. Braverman reportedly admitted to making the change, claiming he was correcting what he perceived as an error in the records. The investigation, initiated in 2024 on suspicion of forgery and fraud, has reportedly been concluded for over a year. The findings have been submitted to the State Prosecutor's Office, which will decide whether to press charges. Channel 13 reported that prosecutors are leaning towards closing the case, with Haaretz citing sources who believe it would be difficult to prove the alteration was intentionally fraudulent rather than a simple mistake. The case was recently revived by statements from Avi Gil, who directly accused Braverman of ordering the document alteration months after the attack. Gil stated he was informed that an employee responsible for official records was instructed to change the call's time and questioned why this modification was made in January 2024, long after the events. He suggested the alteration might have aimed to influence the narrative of the Prime Minister's initial decisions on October 7. When asked about Netanyahu's potential knowledge of the events, Gil expressed suspicions but offered no proof of the Prime Minister's personal involvement. The Likud party dismissed the accusations as false, stating the facts had already been investigated. Braverman is also involved in separate legal proceedings concerning the disclosure of classified documents, which have prevented his appointment as Israel's next ambassador to the United Kingdom. This development occurs amid ongoing public debate in Israel regarding political and military responsibilities for the failures on October 7.