Netanyahu's Account of Oct. 7 Faces New Scrutiny Over Omissions

Investigative journalists for Ynet have uncovered further omissions and alleged distortions in a document Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted to the State Comptroller in February 2026 as his account of events leading to the October 7th catastrophe. The report by Ronen Bergman and Yuval Rubovich highlights that Netanyahu presented a 55-page document, compiled under senior Prime Minister's Office officials, as his "complete response" to the comptroller. However, following revelations of omissions, Netanyahu has since described it as "only a small part, cleared for publication."

The latest findings focus on a February 19, 2023, Shin Bet intelligence report titled "Hamas Force Buildup in 2022, Progress Towards Initial 'Precision Army' Capabilities." According to the Ynet investigation, Netanyahu's submission to the comptroller included only a single sentence from this report, omitting crucial warnings about Hamas's growing offensive capabilities and technological advancements. The journalists contend that Netanyahu selectively quoted the report to create the impression that the border barrier was sufficient to prevent a Hamas incursion, while leaving out details about Hamas's significant investment in precision weapons, increased rocket arsenal, and underground infrastructure.

Bergman and Rubovich argue that the full Shin Bet report, along with other intelligence assessments from the IDF and discussions, painted a clear picture by February 2023 of Hamas developing a technologically advanced offensive force. This contradicted Netanyahu's public narrative of successfully containing Hamas and would have necessitated a different response from the prime minister. The journalists suggest that Netanyahu omitted these warnings because their disclosure would have proven he received alarming intelligence that undermined his "Hamas is contained" mantra, potentially obligating him to act rather than allow Qatar to fund Hamas's military buildup.

The investigation also touches upon alleged efforts within the Prime Minister's Office after October 7th to control the documentation of security discussions and cabinet meetings. This included attempts to ensure only PMO staff documented meetings, with records kept solely in Jerusalem, and alleged manipulation of meeting protocols, such as the military secretary's conversations. The report further details how female soldiers and former PMO officers were allegedly tasked with reviewing documents to help shape Netanyahu's version of events for investigative bodies, under strict secrecy.

Netanyahu's office did not respond to detailed questions from Ynet. In a subsequent statement, Netanyahu claimed that "security-sensitive fragments" were redacted from the documents submitted to the comptroller. However, the Ynet authors distinguish between redactions and the omission of entire passages or continuations of sentences, asserting that the latter significantly alters the context and meaning of the original intelligence.