Singh Bett, Israel’s internal security agency, says Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy was one of the root causes of the October 7, 2023 attacks in which Hamas and other extremists killed around 1,200 Israelis.
In its report on the attack on October 7th, Thinbet acknowledged its own responsibility and acknowledged that Hamas was aware of warning signs that it was planning its business, but the agency, also known as General Security Services (GSS), did not know the scale, timing or location of the planned attack.
However, the report also argued that a series of policies from the Israeli government would help pave the way for Hamas attacks.
Among the main reasons for Hamas’ accumulation before the attack, the general summary on page 8 of the report describes Israel’s “quiet policies” against the group, which appears to refer to the policy of using force to suppress Hamas’ military capabilities. He also listed Netanyahu’s acquiescence in the flow of funds from Qatar to Gaza. This is a policy designed to divide the Palestinians by sacrificing the Palestinian state at the expense of Hamas.
The Singh Bett report pointed to the daily Jewish prayers that have been taking place in recent years in compounds around the Al Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem, known to the Jews as the temple mountain. Prayers violate the 58-year-old’s understanding that only Muslims should be allowed to pray in Al Aksa and the surrounding Esplanade, but they were defended by Itamar Ben Gwil, former national security minister of the Governance Union.
“The cumulative weight of violations of the temple mountain, the treatment of prisoners (in Palestinian) and the perception that Israeli society was weakened due to damage to social cohesion” were all factors contributing to Israeli vulnerability to attacks, the report said.
Singh Bett claimed he had not underestimated Hamas, and that he had no desire to launch a major attack from Gaza by overwhelming Israeli fortress around the coastal district. The security agency even said it had given the code name for Jericho’s wall to the plan, but that didn’t lead to increased security.
“The plan is not considered a relevant threat, and the series of weak directive signs that began in the summer of 2023 were not attributed to that threat,” the report said, adding that Hamas rebellion on the West Bank is considered more likely than it was back then.
“It led to a fatal flaw in night decision-making between October 6th and 7th,” the report said.
On the eve of the massacre, Singh Bett issued a warning about the activation of 45 Israeli SIM cards by Hamas militants. The agency was labelled SIM activation as SIM activation as a possible pointer to an imminent attack if other indicators appeared. The fact that no defensive preparations were made, Singh Bett’s report condemned some of the lack of cooperation with Army intelligence.
In response to the report, sources described as close to Netanyahu described Israeli reporters to Singh Bet, the head of Singh Bet, the prime minister is about to fire.
Barr, Netanyahu’s companion, was “a slave of preconceived notions” about extremist groups, cited as saying they “fatal failed” in dealing with Hamas threats.
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Netanyahu recently removed Bar and Mossad chief David Barnea from Israeli delegation as a reflection of the rift between the prime minister and security agencies over the act of war, and whether it should proceed in the second stage, Netanyahu recently removed Barnea, the chief of Barnea, from Israeli delegations.
The internal friction came in the local struggle to define Gaza’s postwar future. This was heightened by Donald Trump’s shock declaration that the United States will take on ownership of the occupying territories, which will empty 2.2 million Palestinian residents and turn them into the “Middle Eastern Riviera.”
At a summit in Cairo on Tuesday, the Arab League approved an alternative plan drafted by Egypt. There, instead of Hamas, Gaza will be reconstructed under the Palestinian Technocrat Committee.
An Arab diplomat on Wednesday said the initial feedback from Washington to the plan was “unfortunately negative.” “They still prefer Trump’s plans,” the diplomat said, noting that the administration has so far presented a blueprint for how Trump’s vision for US rule in Gaza and the construction of luxury resorts.
A delegation of Arab Foreign Ministers plans to go to Washington later this month to lobby Trump officials in support of Egypt’s postwar plans.
The Trump administration has reported separately that it is in secret discussions with Hamas about the possibility of the event being held in Hamas and Gaza.
According to reports from Reuters and Axios, Adam Boehler, the US special envoy on hostage issues, had been holding in-person talks with Hamas in Doha for the past few weeks. Sources said the talks focused on securing the release of American citizens, who are still hostages in Gaza, but also included discussions on how to reach a wider deal and a long-term ceasefire to free all remaining hostages.
The US State Department designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bowler’s office declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
