09.10.2026 13:23
Avi Gil, former military secretary to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, claimed that recordings of phone calls made on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Hamas attack began, were altered. Gil's statements, arguing that Netanyahu had been warned repeatedly before the attack and that he prioritized his political interests over the rescue of Israeli captives, sparked debate in the country. While the Prime Minister's Office denied the claims, the opposition called for an urgent investigation into Netanyahu.
Former military secretary of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Reserve Major General Avi Gil, claimed in an interview with Channel 12 television that Prime Minister's Office Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman altered phone call records from the morning when the Hamas attack began on October 7, 2023.
"THE TIME OF THE PHONE CALL WAS CHANGED" Gil said that a few weeks after the October 7 attack, during the period when Israel's intense attacks on Gaza were ongoing, he noticed irregularities in the transcript collection efforts. Stating that the procedures were carried out contrary to regulations, Gil related that he immediately reported the situation to the attorney general.
Recounting that a transcript clerk working at the Prime Minister's Office informed him, Gil stated that on Braverman's instruction, the time of Netanyahu's first phone call on the morning of the attack was being changed.
Gil stated that the call made between 06:40 and 06:44 was intended to be shown as having taken place at 06:29, the time when Hamas's attack began.
"NETANYAHU SACRIFICED THE LIVES OF THE HOSTAGES TO HIS POLITICAL CAREER" Arguing that Netanyahu also prioritized his political interests regarding the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, Gil alleged that the Prime Minister deliberately rejected opportunities that could have brought the hostages back.
Referring to the cabinet meetings held at that time, Gil claimed that instead of approving a hostage exchange deal that could have caused Netanyahu's coalition government to collapse, he chose to preserve his power.
Gil said, "Did I think at that time that it was right to prioritize the return of the hostages? The answer is yes."
"HE WAS WARNED REPEATEDLY BEFORE THE ATTACK" Gil said that before the October 7 attack, Israel's senior security officials repeatedly warned Netanyahu about an approaching attack.
He stated that in July 2023, then-Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar conveyed an official "war warning" to the Prime Minister through him while Netanyahu was in the hospital.
Alleging that Netanyahu did not hold an urgent meeting with Bar after this warning, Gil claimed that during the first two hours of the attack on the morning of October 7, the Prime Minister also did not meet with senior security officials.
Avi Gil PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE REJECTED THE CLAIMS Following Gil's statements, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office rejected the accusations in a written statement.
In the statement, it was argued that responsibility for the intelligence failure on October 7 could not be placed on Netanyahu, and it was alleged that responsibility lay with the heads of the army and security agencies.
The Prime Minister's Office stated that the claims that phone call records were secretly altered and that Israeli hostages were sacrificed for Netanyahu's political future did not reflect the truth.
OPPOSITION CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO NETANYAHU Following Gil's statements, opposition leaders in Israel called for an urgent investigation into Netanyahu.
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party, which is shown as the leading party in election polls, argued that Netanyahu preferred his political interests and protocols over the lives of the hostages.
Eisenkot, who wants Netanyahu's responsibility in the October 7 process to be investigated through a criminal investigation, said, "Nothing will save him from the state commission of inquiry we will open after the elections."
ACCUSED NETANYAHU OF "TREASON" Opposition Israel Our Home Party leader Avigdor Liberman also reacted to Netanyahu.
Liberman argued that the policies Netanyahu pursued and his deliberate rejection of opportunities to rescue the hostages amounted to betrayal of the country's interests.
Accusing Netanyahu of "treason," Liberman alleged that decisions regarding the release of the hostages were made in line with political interests.
DEMAND FOR STATE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY Opposition parties demanded that developments before and after the October 7, 2023 attacks be examined by an independent state commission of inquiry.
Calls were made to investigate the warnings conveyed to Netanyahu before the attack, the claims regarding phone call records, and the decisions taken during the hostage exchange process.
Opposition leaders requested that the allegations in question also be evaluated within the scope of a criminal investigation.