Ex-IDF chief rejects claim he should’ve phoned PM ahead of Oct. 7 attack, says nobody knew it was coming

In newly aired recordings published by Hebrew media, former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi pushes back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that he failed to wake the premier in the hours before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, insisting that Israel’s security establishment had no indication of an imminent threat.

“Neither in the Shin Bet nor in the IDF did we find a single person who agreed that this terrible day, not even one percent of it, would happen,” Halevi is heard saying during remarks at Ein HaBesor yesterday, one of the many Gaza border communities attacked on October 7.

He added that he required no approval from either Netanyahu or then-defense minister Yoav Gallant to deploy forces to the area, and would have done so had there been any warning signs.

Rejecting conspiracy claims, Halevi told the audience: “Relieve yourselves of this horrible thought that someone from within us was a traitor.”

He acknowledged that while he and the Shin Bet chief had received reports of irregular activity in Gaza leading up to the assault, the situation appeared normal on the night of October 6 and the early morning hours of October 7, leading officials to conclude there was no imminent danger.

Halevi also confirmed that Hamas had twice prepared for an assault similar to the October 7 massacre in the past but aborted both plans at the last moment due to internal turmoil — information, he emphasized, that was only uncovered in hindsight.

The former chief of staff announced his resignation in January, alongside then-Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, citing responsibility for the IDF’s failures that led to the deadliest day in Israel’s history.