Gantz calls on Netanyahu to retract comments blaming security, intelligence forces for Oct. 7 attack

National Unity chairman Benny Gantz calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to retract comments he made blaming the heads of the security and intelligence forces for the Hamas October 7 massacres on Saturday night, in the first public sign of tensions between the two leaders.

“This morning in particular I want to back and support all the security forces and IDF soldiers, including the IDF chief of staff, the head of military intelligence, the head of the Shin Bet,” says Gantz.

“When we are at war, leadership needs to be responsible, to decide to do the right things and support the [security] forces in a way in which they can carry out what we demand of them. Any other action or comment harms the resilience of the people and its forces.

“The prime minister must retract his comments from yesterday and stop dealing with this issue.”

Late on Saturday night, Netanyahu wrote a post on X (formerly Twitter), insisting that he never received any warnings of Hamas “war intentions” at any stage, adding “all the security services, including the head of military intelligence and the head of the Shin Bet, were of the opinion that Hamas was deterred and wanted to come to a settlement.”