The Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday published a record of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s schedule from the morning of October 7, 2023, in which it was alleged that he spoke with former defense minister Yoav Gallant far earlier than previous reports had indicated.
According to the released schedule, Netanyahu spoke with Gallant during his drive to the Kirya between 7:30 a.m. and 8:22 a.m., when he was told that there was "no clear situational picture." People close to Gallant did not deny that this conversation had occured.
The schedule also indicates that Netanyahu was unaware of the ongoing Hamas attack until 6:29 a.m., when his military secretary, Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil, informed him of it.
Previous reports, including an exclusive story by The Jerusalem Post, have shown that Gil waited 16 minutes to wake Netanyahu after being informed of the situation by the Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) at 6:13 a.m. This fact was omitted by the Prime Minister's Office.
Afterward, Netanyahu held a second call with Gil at 6:44 a.m., during which, according to the Prime Minister's Office, he made several inquiries into whether a large-scale reserve call-up was needed and whether Hamas's senior leadership could be eliminated, as well as questioning why nothing had appeared in intelligence briefings provided to him prior to October 7.
Netanyahu then left for the Kirya at 7:30, speaking with the defense minister on his way, and arrived at 8:22. The schedule records the prime minister as having received ongoing updates and intelligence briefings between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., overlapping with a meeting between Netanyahu, former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, and former Shin Bet director Ronen Bar at 8:40.
At 9:47 a.m., Netanyahu received, according to the schedule, a document summarizing the situation assessment Bar had held four-and-a-half hours earlier, at 5:15 a.m.
Netanyahu holds security assessment with officials
Finally, at 9:55 a.m., Netanyahu held a broader situation assessment with Gallant, Halevi, Bar, the Mossad director, the National Security Council head, and the head of Military Intelligence.
After this meeting, the schedule recorded that the prime minister held a separate security consultation with Halevi and Gallant.
The release comes after KAN News reported that Netanyahu did not speak with Halevi until three hours after the Hamas attack began.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this story.