Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a NIS 3 million defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, alleging that he repeatedly warned of growing threats from Hamas and recommended eliminating senior terrorist leaders in Gaza in the months preceding the October 7 massacre, but that his recommendations were never implemented.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, presents a detailed account of security discussions throughout 2022 and 2023, including proposals to eliminate Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior commanders, warnings about deteriorating Israeli deterrence, and disagreements over the government’s approach to Gaza.

Among the most significant allegations is Bar’s claim that Netanyahu expressed concern that expanding Israel’s targeted assassination policy could provoke retaliatory attacks against him personally.

According to the lawsuit, Bar raised the possibility of eliminating Sinwar during a November 7, 2022, meeting with Netanyahu, before Netanyahu returned to the premiership.

Bar said the Shin Bet had previously prepared an operational plan to eliminate Sinwar, but that his recommendation to carry out the operation during 2022 had not been advanced.

He argued that Sinwar was exploiting Hamas’s ability to direct terrorist attacks from Gaza into Yehuda and Shomron without facing significant consequences inside the Gaza Strip.

On January 8, 2023, following additional terrorist activity directed from Gaza, Bar says he again recommended retaliatory action against Hamas. According to his lawsuit, that recommendation was also not implemented.

The warnings reportedly intensified over the following months.

On February 13, Bar sent Netanyahu a letter warning about the dangerous combination of weakening Israeli deterrence, instability in the Palestinian arena, and growing internal divisions within Israel.

According to Bar, Netanyahu responded by emphasizing the Shin Bet’s responsibility for protecting elected officials, including the prime minister and his family.

During an April 19 security assessment, Bar warned that terrorist organizations viewed Israel’s internal divisions and weakened deterrence as opportunities to intensify attacks.

He recommended targeting Hamas operatives directing terrorism from Gaza, arguing that they were operating with a sense of immunity.

Another significant discussion took place on May 21, 2023, following Israel’s military operation against Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Bar reportedly urged Netanyahu to expand the use of targeted assassinations beyond Islamic Jihad and presented intelligence indicating that Sinwar’s ideology and strategic approach were becoming increasingly extreme.

According to the lawsuit, Bar argued that precise offensive action at the beginning of a confrontation could shorten fighting and reduce casualties.

However, Bar alleges that Netanyahu raised concerns about possible personal retaliation against him if Israel expanded its targeted assassination policy.

The former Shin Bet chief claims he continued warning about the situation throughout the summer.

On August 20, he presented a security assessment warning about possible escalation during the upcoming Yomim Tovim. The following day, he again warned Netanyahu about increasing terrorist activity directed from Gaza.

Bar alleges that although Netanyahu acknowledged the need to address Hamas’s terrorist command infrastructure, the proposed measures were not advanced.

During a September 12 Cabinet discussion, Bar reportedly warned that Israel was confronting an unusually high number of attempted terrorist attacks and that defensive operations alone would not fundamentally change the security situation.

According to the lawsuit, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of maintaining relative calm throughout the Yom Tov period.

On September 21, the Shin Bet submitted a professional assessment recommending consideration of a preemptive offensive operation, although Bar acknowledged that the proposed action was intended for after the Yomim Tovim.

During another discussion on September 27, Netanyahu reportedly instructed security officials to exercise restraint and avoid an escalation with Gaza.

The final major discussion cited in the lawsuit occurred on October 1, just six days before the Hamas massacre.

Bar claims he warned that terrorist activity originating in Gaza had reached an exceptional level and that Israel could be drawn into a confrontation even before the conclusion of the Yomim Tovim.

He recommended accelerating preparations to eliminate senior Hamas operatives responsible for directing terrorist activity.

According to Bar, Netanyahu authorized preparations for targeted assassinations, but no follow-up operational discussion was convened and the proposed actions were not carried out.

Previous reports concerning the pre-October 7 security discussions indicated that Shin Bet officials had sought to revive plans for the simultaneous elimination of Sinwar and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, followed by strikes against additional commanders.

However, records released by Netanyahu’s office have also included instructions to advance operational readiness for targeted assassinations, raising questions about which measures were authorized, whether the plans were operationally ready, and why no strikes ultimately took place.

Authorization to prepare an operation does not necessarily constitute approval to execute it, and the lawsuit does not establish that eliminating Hamas leaders before October 7 would have prevented the massacre.

The dispute also extends to the critical hours immediately preceding the attack.

Netanyahu has repeatedly accused Bar of failing to personally notify him after the Shin Bet detected suspicious Hamas activity overnight.

Bar rejects allegations that he deliberately withheld information, maintaining that an alert about signs of possible offensive activity was distributed at 3:03 a.m. on October 7 and that instructions were issued to notify the prime minister’s military secretary.

Bar has acknowledged his responsibility for the Shin Bet’s failure to identify the scale and timing of the Hamas attack, citing that failure as a reason for his resignation.

Netanyahu, responding Wednesday to the lawsuit, sharply criticized Bar’s explanation for not contacting him directly.

“Ronen Bar, who saw the warning signs on the night of October 7 and did not call me, says today that he did not have my phone number. Ronen, are you serious?” Netanyahu said.

“You had my secure red-phone number and could have called me immediately, as all the heads of the security establishment do. The Shin Bet security guards, your subordinates, who are with me 24/7, could have reached me within minutes. How many lives could we have saved if only you had called in time?”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)