Security chief failed to wake me on October 7, says Netanyahu

The Israeli prime minister is attempting to remove Ronen Bar, chief of the Shin Bet, blaming him for failures surrounding the 2023 attack.

Critics say that Netanyahu is removing Bar to shield himself from blame.

Israel’s prime minister has blamed his head of national security for failing to wake him on October 7, 2023, when Hamas began its terrorist attacks.

Binyamin Netanyahu released a video statement justifying the sacking of Ronen Bar, who runs Shin Bet, equivalent to Britain’s MI5.

“When [Bar] didn’t wake me and didn’t wake others up, and [the mistrust] exacerbated right up until his removal from the [hostage] negotiation team,” Netanyahu said, adding that Bar would be fired despite the high court of justice having frozen the order to dismiss him while it hears petitions in his favour.

Netanyahu blames Bar for security failures that led to October 7, when Hamas-led militants raided southern Israel in the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history. Shin Bet, which deals with counterterrorism, in part blamed Netanyahu for his long-term policies towards Hamas.

Critics say that Netanyahu is removing Bar to shield himself from blame and to avoid other Shin Bet-led investigations that surround him. A string of figures among Netanyahu’s top brass have resigned or been fired and Gali Baharav Miara, the attorney-general, is expected to be next. The cabinet approved a vote of confidence in her, the first step towards her dismissal. Miara had previously warned that firing the head of Shin Bet was against the law.

Protesters hold signs with photos of attorney general Gali Baharav Miara and Israel's intelligence Director Ronen Bar during a protest against the Israeli government outside the Prime Minister's office on March 23. Picture: Amir Levy/Getty Images

Protests against moves to sack Bar and Miara continued on Saturday and yesterday (Sunday) in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Yesterday (Sunday), Gaza’s health ministry, which is run by Hamas, said the death toll there had passed 50,000 since the beginning of Israel’s response to October 7. More than 113,000 Palestinians had been injured, the ministry said.

Further Israeli strikes on southern Gaza killed at least 19 people on Saturday night, including a Hamas political leader, Salah al-Bardaweel, the latest member of the group’s political wing to be targeted.

Heavy shelling caused the displacement of thousands of Palestinians who fled southern Gaza. An Israeli cabinet meeting approved the formation of a voluntary transit administration “for Gazan residents who express an interest” in moving to third countries.

Ibtihal Al-Akhras, a 42-year-old mother of three fleeing Rafah, southern Gaza, said: “Everything is terrifying. I don’t know where to go while they cry in fear from the sounds of shelling and gunfire. We’ve seen enough shattered bodies, blood, poverty, hunger and closed crossings. I appeal to the entire world. I appeal to Hamas and say please end this,” she said.

On Saturday, Israelis turned out to call for an end to stop the war.

Israel has also struck Lebanon in its deadliest assault since the November truce, which ended more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, a Shia militia. According to the Lebanese health ministry, the attacks in south Lebanon killed seven people including a child.

The Times