Sources Reveal Netanyahu's Early Hesitation and Fear of Hezbollah in War's First Weeks
Leaked accounts from security and political sources contradict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's narrative of decisive leadership during the early weeks of the October 7 war, revealing deep hesitation over ground maneuvers and Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates have sought to establish a narrative that he was fully prepared, alert, and in control from the very outset of the October 7 attacks. However, accounts from numerous political, military, and security sources paint a starkly contrasting picture of his initial performance and statements.
During the early weeks of the war, the issue of a ground maneuver sparked intense debate. While the IDF prepared a clear plan, Netanyahu hesitated. In private consultations, he expressed deep concerns, warning that a ground offensive would result in thousands of casualties. In the war cabinet, he voiced fears that Hamas would place hostages on rooftops as human shields and argued that public opinion was not yet prepared to bear the heavy costs of such an operation.
Ultimately, pressure from the military and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant persuaded Netanyahu to greenlight the maneuver. A similar pattern of profound hesitation emerged regarding the threat from Hezbollah. In early discussions at the Kirya military headquarters, Netanyahu warned security chiefs that retaliatory fire from Hezbollah would obliterate buildings and leave nothing behind, describing their conventional fire as having an unconventional impact. These early expressions of deep anxiety help contextualize years of containment prior to October 7 and the reluctance to launch a preemptive strike in the war's first days.
