Full Breakdown
Former Prime Minister’s Military Secretary Accuses Netanyahu’s Office of Altering Oct 7 Call Record
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Alleged Alteration of Phone-Call Timestamp
Avi Gil, former military secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told reporters that chief of staff Tzachi Braverman directed a stenographer to change the recorded time of Gil’s 6:40 a.m. October 7, 2023 call to 6:29 a.m. Gil said the change was meant to suggest the prime minister was warned earlier than he actually was. He reported the incident to the attorney-general and urged any inquiry to rely on original audio recordings rather than edited transcripts.
Background & Context
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza. At 6:12 a.m., Gil was awakened by a call from former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar that said “South.” He called Netanyahu on a non-secure line at 6:29 a.m. to alert him to the assault and called again at 6:40 a.m. to declare that Israel was at war. Gil’s notebook entries from that day were later digitized and stored in the Military Intelligence Directorate.
Timeline
- 6:12 a.m. – Gil receives a call from Bar’s office.
- 6:29 a.m. – Gil contacts Netanyahu to report the initial Hamas assault.
- 6:40 a.m. – Gil calls again to announce that Israel is at war.
- Late 2023 – Gil notes that a stenographer was asked to change the 6:40 a.m. timestamp to 6:29 a.m.
Official Statements & Responses
Gil said the alleged timestamp change reflects a broader pattern of “disproportionate collection of materials” by officials close to the prime minister after the attack. He urged the prospective state commission of inquiry and the State Comptroller to obtain the original recordings of all relevant calls.
The Likud party rejected Gil’s allegations, calling the interview a politically motivated campaign aimed at destabilizing the government. Party officials said Netanyahu received no advance warning, that security chiefs told him Hamas was deterred, and that any failure to act resulted from missed updates, not intentional concealment.
Criticism & Opposition
Likud labeled Gil’s claims “false and political propaganda,” asserting that the prime minister’s office acted appropriately with the information available and that the alleged alteration was unfounded.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Gil has not produced documentary evidence of the altered timestamp, nor identified who might have been on the Egyptian intelligence aircraft that landed in Israel shortly after the attack. He described the aircraft’s presence as a fact but could not confirm its purpose. The absence of a formally established state commission of inquiry leaves these matters unresolved, and Gil’s call for original audio evidence highlights a gap in official record-keeping.
What’s Next
Gil continues to call for an independent investigation that includes the full audio recordings of the October 7 calls and a review of any undisclosed foreign intelligence contacts. He warned that without a state commission, the public’s understanding of the events remains incomplete.