Netanyahu’s former aide alleges attempt to alter 7 October records

What Happened

Avi Gil, who served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary on 7 October 2023 and until 2024, told Israel's Channel 12 and Israel Hayom that Netanyahu prioritised his political survival over securing the release of captives held in Gaza. Gil claimed Netanyahu abandoned possible opportunities for a captive deal because an agreement threatened his governing coalition, and that some captives later died despite the possibility of returning earlier. He also said Netanyahu reversed course after far-right coalition ministers opposed proposed deals, and that in 2024 Netanyahu asked him to prepare a prisoner agreement document but then ordered him not to present it after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to bring down the government. Gil separately accused Netanyahu's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, of directing a stenographer in January 2024 to change the time of the first recorded secure-line call between Gil and Netanyahu on the morning of 7 October from 6:40 am to 6:29 am, when the Hamas-led attack began. Gil called this "forgery". Netanyahu denied the accusations, calling them an attempt to obscure his failure, and the Likud party dismissed them as false political propaganda. The Times of Israel reported that Braverman has been investigated for suspected forgery and fraud related to the alleged alteration.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The allegations directly challenge Netanyahu's handling of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack and subsequent captive negotiations, with potential criminal exposure over record tampering and political pressure from far-right coalition members. If the original phone recordings corroborate Gil's account, it could intensify domestic legal scrutiny, deepen public criticism of Netanyahu's wartime leadership, and affect the stability of his coalition as well as ongoing hostage and ceasefire efforts.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Knesset or state prosecutor obtains and examines the original secure-line recordings from 7 October rather than only written transcripts; whether the investigation into Tzachi Braverman leads to formal charges; and whether far-right coalition parties, particularly Bezalel Smotrich, respond to Gil's claim that Smotrich threatened to collapse the government over a prisoner deal.