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defense officials intentionally failed to wake him in the hours before the October 7 Hamas attack, alleging they feared he would have ordered mobilization and strikes on anyone approaching the border, which could have triggered the assault
Attributed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
A Times of Israel article reports that Netanyahu made this claim himself. He made it in an Instagram livestream carried on Channel 12, and said similar things on a podcast and on Channel 14. The article says he alleged officials deliberately did not wake him because they knew he would order a full alert and strikes on anyone approaching the border. It says he alleged they feared this would provoke a Hamas attack, and that he made the claim "without proof". It also says the security chiefs of the time have said they did not assess, based on the information they had that night, that Hamas was about to attack. A second Times of Israel piece reports that he repeated the not-waking claim. I found no Reuters, AFP or Bellingcat fact-check of the claim. The search confirms he said it, but it found no independent evidence that the allegation itself is true.
Supporting sources
Times of Israel reporting shows Netanyahu did make this statement, so the attribution is accurate. This rating covers only that he said it. His allegation that officials intentionally withheld the information is unproven, and I found no independent evidence for it.
Some independent corroboration was found, but it isn't yet conclusive.
Sep 2, 2026, 9:55 AM UTC
UnverifiedInitial assessment.
Sep 11, 2026, 9:43 AM UTC
UnverifiedThe search tool became unavailable during this session, preventing any real verification attempt; without independent search results or an identified original source/quote, this claim cannot be confirmed, disputed, or otherwise assessed, so it defaults to UNVERIFIED per the stated rules.
Sep 26, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC
DisputedIt is well-documented that Netanyahu made this exact statement, but the substance of the allegation—that defense officials intentionally withheld information—is contested by critics and unconfirmed by any independent official corroboration or fact-checking organization.
Oct 29, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC
ConfirmedTimes of Israel reporting shows Netanyahu did make this statement, so the attribution is accurate. This rating covers only that he said it. His allegation that officials intentionally withheld the information is unproven, and I found no independent evidence for it.
First observed Sep 2, 2026, 9:55 AM UTC · Last reviewed Oct 29, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC