The prime minister said late Saturday that security chiefs had not warned him of an impending Hamas attack.
Shortly afterwards, however, Netanyahu deleted a post blaming security officials for the Hamas attack and apologized:
“I was wrong. Things I said following the press conference should not have been said and I apologize for that,” Netanyahu said on X, Anadolu news agency reported.
All the security services, including the head of military intelligence and the head of the Shin Bet, were of the opinion that Hamas was deterred and wanted to come to a settlement, he stressed.
However, these statements were followed by criticism. For example, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that “Netanyahu has crossed a red line.”
National Unity Party head Benny Gantz, who joined Netanyahu’s unity government after the Hamas attack, said the following:
When we are at war, leadership must show responsibility, decide to do the right things and strengthen the forces. Any other action or statement harms the people’s ability to stand and their strength. The prime minister must retract his statement.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir communicated an extremely clear position for Israel:
But all this is not now. There will be plenty of time later for a poignant reckoning. Now our soldiers, all together, are fighting shoulder to shoulder. Only in unity will we win!
