Opository Leader Lapid Says PM Netanyahu Has Been Notified Intelligence Regarding Possible Hamas Attacks

Yair Lapid. (Wikimedia Commons/Spokesperson unit of the President of Israel/Haim Zach)

JAKARTA - opposition leader Yair Lapid received a security briefing from the Head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar, which provided an "unprecedented warning" about the "security consequences of the coup and internal rifts it caused, the night before Knesset voted to pass the so-called law of fairness in July 2023.

The statement by the chairman of the Yesh Atid Party was delivered in his testimony before the independent civil investigation commission for the failure of October 7, 2023, referring to the strongly divisive judicial reshuffle proposed by the government last year, which was ridiculed by some critics as a coup attempt.

Rejecting the government's claim not to accept the previous warning that Hamas was no longer unstoppable, Lapid said "the government was indeed notified. I was informed and the intelligence I saw was of course also seen by the prime minister and cabinet ministers," as quoted by The Times of Israel, August 29.

"Over the months leading up to the disaster, the prime minister and cabinet ministers received a series of unprecedented serious warnings. Since mid-2023, more and more voices in terrorist organizations have been saying that the times they have been waiting for have arrived," he explained.

Lapid recalled asking Bar "whether this warning was also conveyed to the prime minister and cabinet minister, and the answer was: 'Of course,'"

"President (Isaac) Herzog also received updates regarding the increasing security risks and conveyed this in his talks with the prime minister," added Lapid.

On August 21, 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary, Brigadier General Avi Gil, provided the latest security information to the prime minister and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid who warned Israel's enemies from Iran and Hezbollah to terrorist organizations in Gaza and the West Bank had identified "weakness on the part of Israel," Lapid told the commission.

This includes internal tensions and the loss of capability in the Israeli military "in conjunction with the emergence of a crisis with America."

Lapid said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi attempted to meet with PM Netanyahu about the national security impact of the split in Israel over the judicial reshuffle and was rejected. Lt. Gen. Halavi wrote a letter to PM Netanyahu about the dangers. Lt. Gen. Halevi wants to be noted that he has warned and ignored," Lapid said.

At a briefing on August 21, 2023, Gil told PM Netanyahu and Lapid, Iran and terror groups in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza "all identified weaknesses, internal divisions, tensions and the loss of military readiness and a growing crisis with America," recalled Lapid.

Gil's presentation, which summarizes the material of all defense hierarchies, shows Israel's enemies see an opportunity to hurt him, Lapid said.

Over the next few weeks, Lapid said, he saw classified intelligence material given to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee indicating that prevention had indeed been eroded. He saw very secret material, which was given to him as a former prime minister.

On September 18 on the committee, he "saw further warnings," he said. "For me, what is written there is very clear: Israel's prevention has been dramatically eroded; our enemies think they have a rare opportunity to hurt us," Lapid said.

The material shows "Israel is at the largest level of danger," Lapid said.

Summarizing his testimony, Lapid said the prime minister did know of a threatening danger but ignored it. "The defense agency does warn," and all intelligence agencies warn repeatedly.

Lapid said it was important to "distinguish between the fact that on October 7 there was no tactical and concrete warning of a boundary breach, and repeated strategic warnings about the eruption of violence and the loss of deterrence."

PM Netanyahu, he accused, "know that deterrence has weakened, and knows that terror groups are observing (the inner division) of Israeli society."

"He knows that the government is responsible for following up on the warning, but he didn't," Lapid said.

It is known that about 1,200 people were killed and 250 others arrested as hostages, as a result of an attack by a militant group led by Hamas into Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli calculations.

That was replied to by Israel's land and air operations. Citing WAFA, the number of Palestinian casualties since the latest conflict broke out in Gaza on October 7 has reached 40,534 people, while the injured reached 93,778 people. The majority of victims were women and children.