Ex-Shin Bet Chief Bar Details Warnings to Netanyahu Before Oct. 7

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a dramatic lawsuit, presenting a detailed timeline of meetings, assessments, and documents shared with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from November 2022 until shortly before the October 7th attacks. According to Bar's account, he repeatedly warned over months about the erosion of deterrence, the strengthening of Hamas, and the potential for a multi-front conflict, recommending offensive actions like targeted assassinations and strikes on terror infrastructure.

Bar claims that some of his recommendations were ignored, others not advanced, and in several instances, Netanyahu instructed to avoid escalation and maintain quiet during holidays. The timeline details specific warnings, including concerns about Yahya Sinwar's intentions, a "perfect storm" brewing from Israel's internal divisions and Palestinian instability, and a threefold increase in terror alerts by March 2023, with Hamas becoming Iran's military arm.

Netanyahu's responses, as detailed in the lawsuit, ranged from dismissiveness to focusing on internal Israeli political matters, such as the judicial overhaul and security for public officials. On March 25, 2023, following Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's warning speech about security dangers, Netanyahu fired Gallant, intensifying concerns within security agencies that professional assessments could lead to repercussions for those delivering them.

Bar's lawsuit outlines further warnings throughout the summer of 2023, emphasizing a growing strategic deficit, Hamas's increasing confidence, and the exploitation of Israel's internal rifts by enemies. He specifically warned on July 23rd of a "strategic alert for war" and that "enemies of Israel recognize the internal rift as an opportunity." Netanyahu's alleged responses included ignoring warnings, focusing on maintaining quiet during holidays, and even questioning the Shin Bet's role in national strategy.

On the night of October 7th, Bar asserts that the Shin Bet actively gathered intelligence and shared it with military counterparts, despite Netanyahu's later claims. The timeline details communications between Shin Bet and IDF officials from 11 PM onwards, culminating in a computerized alert at 3:03 AM about possible Hamas offensive activity. Bar's lawsuit contends that at the time, no entity, including the Shin Bet, assessed that Hamas was planning a full-scale attack.