Netanyahu Refused Gaza Air Strikes Weeks Before Oct. 7, Report Says
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly refused a proposal from former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar for aerial assassinations in Gaza three weeks before the October 7th attack. At the same time, Netanyahu directed efforts to provide economic benefits to Hamas for maintaining quiet. This information emerges as Bar sues Netanyahu, alleging his prior warnings about a multi-front conflict were ignored.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected aerial assassinations in Gaza weeks before Oct. 7, according to a report.
- Former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar proposed the strikes during a meeting on September 13, 2023.
- Netanyahu reportedly stated air strikes were only an option after a "terrible attack."
- Simultaneously, Netanyahu advanced economic benefits for Hamas in exchange for quiet.
- The report follows a lawsuit filed by Ronen Bar against Netanyahu over ignored warnings.
- Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the report.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal from the former head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, to conduct aerial assassinations of Hamas targets in Gaza just three weeks before the October 7th attack, according to a report. The meeting took place on September 13, 2023, the day before Rosh Hashanah, amidst heightened security tensions and riots along the Gaza border fence.
During the meeting, Netanyahu reportedly asked about assassination options, to which Bar responded that targets could be eliminated "in an office in Gaza." Netanyahu's alleged reply was, "From the air in Gaza? Only if there's a terrible attack. Otherwise, something smaller is preferable." Simultaneously, Netanyahu instructed the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories to advance economic benefits for Hamas in exchange for quiet.
This revelation comes as former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar filed a multi-million shekel lawsuit against Netanyahu, detailing alleged warnings he gave the Prime Minister about a potential multi-front conflict in the months leading up to the October 7th massacre. The lawsuit claims Bar repeatedly alerted Netanyahu about the Gaza Strip and the High Holy Days period, presenting plans to eliminate Hamas leaders, but these were allegedly dismissed or ignored.
The report notes that the specific meeting and the aerial assassination proposal were not mentioned in Bar's lawsuit. The Prime Minister's office declined to comment on the report.
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