Netanyahu’s Claim of October 7 Border Closure Contradicted
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Netanyahu's Claim of October 7 Border Closure Contradicted
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that he ordered the Gaza border sealed during the initial hours of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack is being challenged by sources familiar with the day's events.
- Minutes from his second conversation on October 7, 2023, reportedly do not contain a clear directive to seal the border.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated on multiple occasions that his immediate action on October 7, 2023, as the Hamas attack unfolded, was to order the sealing of Israel’s southern border with Gaza. This directive, he claimed, was intended to prevent Israelis from being taken hostage. However, individuals with knowledge of the day’s events have contradicted this assertion.
According to reports, minutes from Netanyahu’s second phone call on October 7, 2023, do not include any explicit operational order to seal the border. The Hamas attack began around 6:30 a.m. Israel Summer Time with a barrage of rockets and infiltrations into southern Israel. By 7:40 a.m., the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed militants had entered southern Israel. Netanyahu made his first public statement declaring Israel was “at war” around 11:35 a.m. on October 7, 2023.
The October 7 attack resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily Israeli civilians, and over 240 people being taken hostage. In the aftermath, Israel launched a military response in the Gaza Strip. The government has faced scrutiny regarding the security failures that preceded the attack, with questions raised about accountability. A state comptroller report from August 2023 had previously warned Netanyahu and the defense establishment about significant border security negligence.