Netanyahu faces criticism over his response on the morning of October 7, 2023
Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not speak with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi until 9:45 a.m. on October 7, 2023, approximately three hours after he was alerted to the Hamas attack at 6:29 a.m. Netanyahu has claimed that security officials deliberately chose not to wake him earlier, asserting the attack could have been prevented had he been notified sooner. The report and Netanyahu's accusations have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and October 7 survivor organizations ahead of Israel's October 27, 2026 election.
- Le Mondefirst
- South China Morning Post+18 min
- Jerusalem Post+30.8 h
- Times of Israel+33.3 h
No left-right split here
Coverage clusters in the center and international press. Here is each take as it stands.
“'Unfathomable': PM slammed over report he waited 3 hours to speak with IDF chief on Oct. 7”
“Netanyahu accuses security officials of intentionally not waking him on October 7”
“Netanyahu's Oct. 7 phone call to IDF chief took place three hours after attack began - report”
“Netanyahu says security officials deliberately didn't wake him on October 7”