Report: Netanyahu Took 2 Hours to Reach IDF HQ, 3 Hours to Speak With Chief

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not speak with then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi until about three hours after he was alerted that Hamas had launched its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to a report by The Times of Israel citing Israel’s Channel 12 television news.

Netanyahu was first alerted at 6:29 a.m. that Hamas was attacking Israel.

According to Netanyahu’s office, he left his Caesarea home at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at the IDF’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv around 8 a.m. Shin Bet records reportedly place his arrival at 8:22 a.m.

However, Channel 12 reported that unpublished minutes from the Prime Minister’s Office diary placed Netanyahu’s arrival at the Kirya at 9 a.m. A source described by the network as credible said he may not have arrived until 9:30 a.m.

The Channel 12 report also said Netanyahu did not contact Halevi or then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar after being alerted and before reaching the Kirya.

Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that his first conversation with Halevi that morning took place during a situation assessment at about 9:55 a.m. Halevi’s diary records his first meeting with Netanyahu at 9:45 a.m.

According to the timeline released by Netanyahu’s office, Netanyahu spoke with then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant while traveling to the Kirya and received intelligence updates during the morning.

At 9:55 a.m., Netanyahu convened a broader security assessment with Gallant, Halevi, then-Mossad chief David Barnea, Bar and other senior officials. His office says Netanyahu ordered a full mobilization of IDF reserves and instructed the military to seal the Gaza border and prepare for possible fighting on the northern front.

The IDF had already ordered a transition to a wartime footing and reserve mobilization at about 8 a.m., according to military investigations cited in the report.

The dispute over Netanyahu’s actions comes as Israeli officials and political figures continue to debate responsibility for the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 attack.

Netanyahu has argued that security officials should have awakened him earlier, saying he would have immediately mobilized the IDF and Air Force had he been informed of the warning signs. Security officials have said they did not assess before the attack that Hamas was preparing for a full-scale invasion.

Channel 12 also reported that Gallant arrived at the Kirya at about 7:30 a.m., roughly an hour after being alerted to the attack.

The Times of Israel reported that the new information comes as calls continue for a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding Oct. 7. Netanyahu has opposed such a commission and has backed a different framework for investigating the failures.

The Hamas-led attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.