Days before Oct. 7, PM said to have recommended making civilian concessions to Hamas in exchange for calm

On October 1, 2023, days before the October 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israel’s security establishment to make various civilian concessions to Hamas in exchange for quiet, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

In particular, the report says Netanyahu wished to increase the use of humanitarian benefits as a tool to influence Hamas’s conduct.

The meeting was held in the wake of violent protests along the Gaza border fence, which ended the week before October 7. The IDF recently said it believes the protests had been part of Hamas’s attempt to con Israel into thinking all had returned to normal.

At the same time, the report says the premier had also instructed the defense establishment to increase its operational readiness for thwarting potential Hamas attacks.

In response to the report, the Prime Minister’s Office slams Kan for what it says are “continued attempts to divert the discussion from the Shin Bet’s enormous failure.”

It claims that in reality, Shin Bet officials had been the ones to recommend the use of civilian benefits as a way to buy calm, while the premier had “warned against attempts by elements in the region to lead to escalation,” and had advised the defense establishment “not to ignore Hamas’s provocations.”