Israeli Defense Minister Katz refuses to say there was no betrayal from within on Oct. 7: 'I only comment on what I know'
Katz refused to rule out an 'internal betrayal' in Hamas' October 7 attack, days after Sara Netanyahu suggested Democrats leader Yair Golan had advance knowledge of the assault. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied the conspiracy claim
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declined on Wednesday to assert that there was no internal betrayal during Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, 2023. Addressing a Ynet and Yedioth Aharonoth conference, Katz stated that he cannot comment on what he does not know. An affiliated member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, Katz attributed the attack's success to coordination with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran, and a Hamas military plan called Jericho Wall.
He asserted that the political leadership was unaware of this plan. The defense minister would not confirm the absence of betrayal, instead claiming that the failure was extensive enough to explain the attack's outcome. Katz also claimed that Israel destroyed Iran's nuclear program in their June 2022 conflict, which he said has not been revived.
Praise for the Israel Defense Forces and readiness to confront Iran followed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, suggested on Monday that Yair Golan, a former IDF deputy chief of staff, might have been part of a conspiracy before the attack. When asked directly about alleged betrayal, she refrained from commenting, stating she was not involved in such theories.
Sara Netanyahu demanded a genuine inquiry into October 7 events, while Golan threatened legal action against her for non-apology and compensation to Nova festival victims' families. The Netanyahu administration denied any internal betrayal.
Written by urgent.news from Haaretz's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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