Former defense minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that Israel did receive a message from Hamas through a Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) channel in which Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar warned that he would "shake the prisons," Gallant told Army Radio on Sunday.
Gallant also alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept senior security officials, including the defense minister, out of the loop regarding sensitive conversations with senior US officials during the war.
"During the war, I learned many times about important conversations Netanyahu held with the Americans on the most sensitive issues, such as hostages and ammunition, only after the Americans called me and tried to verify what had been said in those conversations," Gallant said.
"Their trust in the prime minister was low," he added.
Gallant's comments follow new disclosures concerning messages allegedly conveyed by Sinwar in the weeks before the October 7, 2023, massacre. Former senior Fatah official Sufian Abu Zaida recently said he had served as an intermediary in a secret channel between Israel and Hamas aimed at advancing a prisoner exchange deal.
Prime minister under scrutiny for alleged warnings from foreign leaders
Gallant's account adds to public scrutiny over the relationship between Netanyahu and Israel's security leadership during the war. The Prime Minister's Office earlier this month released Netanyahu's schedule from the morning of October 7, amid disputes over the timing and nature of communications between the prime minister and senior security officials as the Hamas attack unfolded.
Gallant also addressed reports that Netanyahu had received warnings from foreign leaders ahead of the Hamas attack, saying that he had not been informed of such warnings while serving as defense minister.
"I first heard about these warnings from media reports," Gallant said.
"Assuming these things are true, such a warning that a prime minister receives from the leader of a country is not a political asset; it is a fundamental failure in the overall assessment of the situation," he added.