Military source rejects Eisenkot's version of F-16 downing: Netanyahu was updated and approved the strike
Yashar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot claimed he could not reach the Prime Minister for two hours after an F-16 was downed by Syrian fire. A military source with access to the protocols states that Benjamin Netanyahu was updated immediately and approved the retaliatory strike, which was launched within 20 minutes.
A military source who reviewed the protocols from the 2018 incident in which an F-16 was downed by Syrian anti-aircraft fire has rejected the version of events presented by Yashar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot at the ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth conference. Eisenkot claimed that he was unable to reach Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for two hours and decided on his own to carry out a wide-scale attack in Syria.
According to the documents, on February 10, 2018, around 06:00, a plane returning from a mission was hit by shrapnel and crashed in Israeli territory. The source stated that, per protocol, Netanyahu was updated immediately and ratified the operational plan to strike three radars in Syria and an Iranian target. The attack was carried out at 06:20.
The Prime Minister scheduled a situation assessment for 11:30. Then-Chief of Staff Eisenkot determined that no further action should be taken until 17:00. During the afternoon assessment, Eisenkot and the General Staff concluded that no further response was required. Eisenkot stated, "It is behind us," a recommendation also signed by then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Earlier, Eisenkot described a different sequence of events:
"I ask to update and consult with the Prime Minister, I fail for an hour or two — and I take a decision to carry out a very wide attack of destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries and destroying Iranian targets, and suddenly he appears to me in the Air Force command center after 3-4 hours."
