Conflicting Accounts Emerge Over Warnings Before October 7 Hamas Attack

by | Feb 11, 2026 | News

New television reports are shedding light on high-level discussions in the weeks leading up to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, revealing apparent contradictions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

According to Channels 12 and 13, transcripts from late September meetings show Netanyahu emphasizing the need to maintain calm during the Jewish holiday period. In a September 27 discussion, he reportedly supported increasing humanitarian measures for Gaza, including expanding the number of Gazan laborers allowed into Israel, as a way to reduce tensions.

The reported statements appear to conflict with Netanyahu’s previous claims that he had pushed for tougher action against Hamas but was restrained by security officials.

Meanwhile, Channel 13 aired what it described as portions of Ronen Bar’s testimony to the state comptroller. Bar reportedly said that in the early hours of October 7, the Shin Bet issued an alert about suspicious Hamas movements.

Bar claims he arrived at headquarters and explicitly ordered Netanyahu to be woken at 5:15 a.m., and again at 6:00 a.m., before the attack began at 6:29 a.m.

Netanyahu has insisted he was not awakened before the assault and recently accused Bar of staging a “rebellion” and attempting to cover up intelligence failures. He also suggested Bar acted as a “de facto prime minister.”

A senior defense official, cited by Channel 13, alleged that Netanyahu is targeting Bar in retaliation for the so-called “Qatargate” investigation.

The conflicting accounts continue to fuel debate over responsibility for the failures surrounding October 7.

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