TNA Staff
The New Arab / February 6, 2026
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released a 55-page document outlining his response to an ombudsman investigation into the attacks of 7 October.
London – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a document to the state comptroller, largely shifting blame for the failure to prevent the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 onto political rivals and security chiefs.
Addressing the Knesset foreign affairs and defence committee on Thursday, Netanyahu presented a series of selective quotations and heavily redacted discussions spanning the 12 years preceding the attacks.
While the prime minister is authorised to withhold material he deems a threat to national security, critics argue the document is designed to shape the narrative in his favour, minimising his responsibility for the events that led to the deaths of around 1,150 people in Israel and the capture of 254 more.
Netanyahu described the attacks on military bases and southern Israeli towns as “a serious intelligence failure”, while insisting there had been no treason.
The 55-page document includes excerpts from senior military and political figures, many of whom are vocal critics of Netanyahu or potential challengers in this year’s elections.
According to the document, Netanyahu had repeatedly examined the idea of “conquering” the besieged Gaza Strip in the years before the attacks, but was opposed by the security establishment, which warned such a move would result in a costly war lacking domestic backing or international legitimacy.
The Israeli premier, who is now wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza, cited comments attributed to then-army chief Benny Gantz, who reportedly said taking Gaza would be “a strategic mistake”. Former deputy army chief Gadi Eisenkot is also quoted as describing the plan as “a severe mistake”.
Similar positions are attributed to former economy minister Naftali Bennett and former defence minister Moshe Ya’alon.
Netanyahu also claimed that, prior to 7 October, he had repeatedly pushed for the assassination of senior Hamas leaders, but was blocked by security officials.
One excerpt attributed to former Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman states that Hamas’s only capacity to surprise Israel lay in cross-border tunnels, and that killing figures such as Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif would not cause the group to collapse.
Argaman has previously disputed this account, saying in a 2024 interview that it was he, not Netanyahu, who pushed for their assassinations.
Backlash
Following Netanyahu’s presentation, opposition figures raised concerns over the scale of the redactions, demanding full access to unedited records of the discussions.
Former defence minister Yoav Gallant accused Netanyahu of lying, while opposition leader Yair Lapid said the prime minister had ignored repeated warnings ahead of the attacks.
Senior military officials have previously claimed that Netanyahu consistently rejected the use of force to overthrow Hamas in Gaza.
Critics argued that only a state commission of inquiry, Israel’s highest investigative body, could independently establish responsibility for the failures leading up to 7 October. Opinion polls suggest most Israelis support such an investigation.
Netanyahu has long opposed a state commission of inquiry, citing what he describes as judicial bias. His right-wing coalition has repeatedly sought to limit the powers of the courts.
In a video posted on X, Netanyahu reiterated his call for a new national and “equitable” commission, proposing that half its members be appointed by the governing coalition and half by the opposition.
The 7 October attacks targeted 11 military bases and 22 southern Israeli towns, triggering Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has lasted more than two years and killed over 72,000 Palestinians.
