Sagi Dekel-Chen: "There are things related to the disaster that trigger anxiety"

Representatives of the "October Council" presented data from an independent investigation into the October 7 failure, including testimonies about Netanyahu's refusal to hold an urgent meeting with security chiefs and intelligence that was not handled. The event featured remarks by hostage survivor Sagi Dekel-Chen and other family members, who called for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry.

Representatives of the "October Council," an organization of families affected by the October 7 events, presented data this evening (Saturday) from an independent investigation they conducted into the October 7 failure. The investigation, presented at the "The Space That Remained" exhibition at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Jaffa, is based on dozens of meetings with former and current senior officials in the political and security establishment. According to the data, senior officials testified that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused a request by the head of the Shin Bet, the head of the Mossad, and the Chief of Staff for an urgent meeting intended to warn him of the consequences of the security crisis on the eve of the war. It was further claimed that then-Shin Bet head Ronen Bar warned the Prime Minister that "Sinwar is planning something big," and that the security establishment prepared more than ten options for eliminating the Hamas leader, but these were not carried out. The families added that the testimonies gathered indicate that intelligence on Qatari money targets was known to the political echelon, and that there was an instruction for the security establishment to act only passively to maintain calm in the Strip. Additionally, claims were raised about the sidelining of the Defense Minister and the Military Secretary from relevant discussions, as well as changes to protocols and exceptional collection of discussion transcripts in the Prime Minister's environment. Hostage survivor Sagi Dekel-Chen described the personal difficulty of participating in the event, noting that daily activities have become "triggers" that cause him anxiety. Other family members, including Ofri Bibas Levy, Sharon Ashel, and Amit Idan, also spoke at the event, calling for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry.