Katz tells IDF to release full recordings of slain surveillance soldiers’ last radio messages

Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has ordered the IDF to provide the families of surveillance soldiers killed or abducted in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught with the full recordings of their last radio communications, after the army sent them edited versions.

In a statement issued by his office, Katz says he told the army to provide the families with the full recordings, “with the exception of limited sections that are restricted due to clear security reasons, and this is due to the need for full transparency with the families.”

The IDF already said earlier that some portions of the recordings were removed due to privacy concerns, as the omitted sections included conversations with combat soldiers.

“The IDF is committed to the bereaved families, and does not hide any information from them,” the military says in a new statement following Katz’s comments.

The military says it sent the families the recordings yesterday, after several re-examinations of the audio. The military says the tapes sent to the families only include those in which the voices of the surveillance soldiers can be heard.

The IDF says it will allow all of the families to coordinate visits to the military to hear the entire recordings, adding that it has “no intention of causing further suffering to the families and is sorry for any harm was caused.”