The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday evening released a detailed timeline of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions on the morning of the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, in response to what it described as “inaccurate reports” published in the media recently.
According to the PMO, Netanyahu was first informed by his military secretary at 6:29 a.m. that an attack was underway from the Gaza Strip.
At 6:44 a.m., during a second update with his military secretary, Netanyahu asked why nothing indicating an impending attack had appeared in the intelligence provided to him, according to the statement. He also asked officials to examine whether a broad mobilization of IDF reservists was required and whether Hamas’s senior leadership could be eliminated.
At 7:30 a.m., Netanyahu left for the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv after his motorcade had been prepared.
During the journey, Netanyahu spoke with then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who told him that there was not yet a clear picture of the situation. Netanyahu instructed that a situation assessment be convened in the Kirya’s underground command center under his leadership, according to the PMO.
Netanyahu arrived at the Kirya at around 8 a.m., the statement said, while noting that Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) records put his arrival at 8:22 a.m.
At 8:40 a.m., Gallant convened then-IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and then-Shin Bet director Ronen Bar to formulate a clearer picture of the situation ahead of the meeting with Netanyahu.
Between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., Netanyahu requested and received intelligence assessments and ongoing updates from the field through his military secretariat, according to the PMO.
At 9:47 a.m., Netanyahu’s military secretary received for the first time a document detailing a situation assessment that Bar had conducted at 5:15 a.m., more than an hour before the Hamas assault began.
At 9:55 a.m., Netanyahu convened a situation assessment in the Kirya’s underground command center with Gallant, Halevi, then-Mossad director David Barnea, Bar, then-National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi and the head of the IDF Operations Directorate.
According to the PMO, Netanyahu ordered the Gaza border sealed to prevent hostages from being taken into the Strip and additional terrorists from entering Israel.
The prime minister rejected an IDF recommendation for a partial mobilization of reservists and instead ordered a full call-up, according to the statement. He further instructed the military to issue wartime orders and prepare for the possibility of fighting on the northern front.
Following the meeting, Netanyahu held a smaller security consultation with Gallant and Halevi.
The Hamas-led massacre began at approximately 6:29 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of terrorists breached the Gaza border and attacked Israeli communities and military positions. Some 1,200 people were killed and 251 were abducted to the Gaza Strip.
