Netanyahu's October 7 Schedule: 3 Hours Without Contact with Chief of Staff, Border Closure Ordered at 9:55
The Prime Minister's Office has released Benjamin Netanyahu's schedule for the morning of October 7 to address what it termed "erroneous publications." The timeline reveals that the order for a hermetic border closure was issued only at 9:55 AM, over three hours after the attack began, and that his consultation with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi occurred significantly later than the one held by then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Former senior security officials involved in the events of October 7 were stunned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks that "they did not wake me up so as not to create a miscalculation vis-a-vis Hamas." The facts and timeline of October 6 and 7 indicate a different reality, showing that Netanyahu himself had repeatedly ordered the avoidance of military action against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran to prevent a "miscalculation," a term he used in closed discussions.
This evening, the Prime Minister's Office published Netanyahu's schedule for the morning of October 7, following what they called "erroneous publications." According to this schedule, it was not until 9:55 AM that the Prime Minister ordered a hermetic closure of the border—more than three hours after he was first updated on the attack from the Gaza Strip and nearly three hours after terrorists' pickup trucks were seen on television screens in Sderot.
Notably, no conversation with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi appears in the record until that hour, whereas an hour earlier, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had already held a situation assessment with the Chief of Staff and then-Shin Bet head Ronen Bar in preparation for the meeting with Netanyahu. The schedule differs from the diary previously revealed by the office; for instance, the diary listed "travel to the Kirya" between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, while the new schedule states he arrived "around 8:00 AM."
The timeline according to the Prime Minister's Office is as follows:
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06:29 — The Military Secretary updates the Prime Minister for the first time regarding the attack from the Gaza Strip.
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06:44 — A second update call occurs. The Prime Minister asks why no intelligence had surfaced, requests a check on the need for large-scale reserve mobilization, and asks if the liquidation of Hamas leadership is possible.
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07:30 — The Prime Minister departs for the Kirya. During the trip, he speaks with the Defense Minister, who reports that there is no clear picture of the situation. The Prime Minister instructs that a situation assessment be convened in the bunker under his leadership.
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Around 08:00 — The Prime Minister arrives at the Kirya (Shin Bet records indicate 08:22).
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08:40 — The Defense Minister convenes the Chief of Staff and the head of the Shin Bet to formulate a situational picture ahead of the discussion with the Prime Minister.
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08:30–09:30 — The Prime Minister requests and receives intelligence and field updates from the Military Secretariat team.
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09:47 — The Military Secretary receives for the first time the situation assessment document prepared by the head of the Shin Bet at 05:15 AM.
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09:55 — The Prime Minister holds a situation assessment in the bunker with the participation of the Defense Minister, Chief of Staff, head of the Mossad, head of the Shin Bet, head of the National Security Council, and head of the Operations Directorate. He orders a hermetic closure of the border to prevent the transfer of hostages and further terrorist entry, rejects the IDF's recommendation for partial mobilization in favor of a full one, and orders the issuance of a war order and preparation for the northern front.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Prime Minister held a limited security consultation with the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff.
