Netanyahu's Ex-Military Secretary Alleges Phone Records Tampered Post-Oct 7

What Happened: A Retired General's Three-Year Silence Breaks Open

Netanyahu's Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman tried to tamper with phone records from the morning of October 7, 2023, alleges Netanyahu's military secretary at the time. The premier's chief of staff sought to alter an official record from the morning of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, according to Avi Gil, the former military secretary who confirms these reports. The allegation emerged on October 8, 2026—three years after the attack—in a bombshell interview with Israel Hayom and Channel 12 News.

Avi Gil, who served as Netanyahu's military secretary on October 7, tells Israel Hayom and Channel 12 that he had remained silent until now in the hope of testifying before a state commission of inquiry, the establishment of which Netanyahu and his allies have resisted. Gil filled 16 notebooks with handwritten notes on what he saw and heard during his tenure.

The Alleged Tampering: What Exactly Was Changed

A stenographer at the Prime Minister's Office told Gil in person in January 2024 that she was asked to retrieve the record of the phone call he had with Netanyahu on the secure line at 6:40 a.m. on October 7, and that Braverman told her to falsely change the documented time of that first secure call between Gil and Netanyahu to 6:29 a.m.

The call itself was recorded and marked 06:40 to 06:44, creating an official record that contradicted what someone was attempting to do. Gil states "This is changing a transcript, changing the truth. Factually, there was an instruction to change the time of a call."

He said he immediately documented the account in a handwritten note to the attorney general and recommended that any future commission of inquiry demand the original recordings rather than relying solely on transcripts.

The Stenographer's Account: How the Allegation Surfaced

"She came into my office, closed the door and told me everything," Gil says. "She understood it was a departure from accepted practice… A document had been sent out two months earlier explaining what is and is not permitted… She told me, it is forbidden for me to change it."

The timing was suspicious. Several individuals approached Gil at the end of October 2023 to inform him that there was an "unusual" minutes-gathering effort. "This gathering of minutes was done against the regulations," he says. He says he turned to the Attorney General and asked her to officially make clear the rules in order to stop the irregular gathering of the minutes, which she did.

Gil's Credentials: Who Is Making These Claims

He served as military secretary to three prime ministers - Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and Benjamin Netanyahu - and closely witnessed the period preceding the war, the warnings conveyed to the political leadership, and the first months of the fighting. The military secretary serves as the link between the prime minister and the Defense Ministry, the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet security agency, the Mossad, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission and several other organizations and individuals. He is also generally the prime minister's confidant for special assignments. He attends every discussion and meeting, has access to all relevant material and participates in every consultation.

Gil served as military secretary from 2021 to 2024. His position placed him as one of the closest aides to the prime minister during the critical period surrounding October 7.

Why This Matters: The Broader Allegations Beyond the Phone Call

Gil's interview touched on more than just the phone records. In a bombshell interview, the man who served as Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary on October 7, 2023, charged that the prime minister passed up clear-cut opportunities to bring more hostages home from Gaza alive because doing so would have risked his political career.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former military secretary alleged that the premier presented an incomplete account of the events surrounding Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack and that Netanyahu's chief of staff sought to alter an official record from that morning. Avi Gil, who served as Netanyahu's military secretary on October 7, told Israel Hayom and Channel 12 that he had remained silent until now in the hope of testifying before a state commission of inquiry.

Response and Political Fallout: Opposition Calls for Criminal Probe

After Avi Gil's interview, Eisenkot calls for criminal probe against Netanyahu. Former IDF chief of staff and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot rebuked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud on Wednesday, on the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, calling Netanyahu a liar who is fleeing from his responsibility for the disaster.

Netanyahu denied Gil's claims directly. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his former military secretary Avi Gil knew "like others" about the impending Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, "and chose not to wake the prime minister up in time," shifting the blame back to Gil.

The Braverman Factor: Prior Legal Troubles

Braverman has been accused of criminal wrongdoing before. He faces an indictment for obstruction of justice, fraud and breach of trust in connection with a scandal over the leak of classified documents. The Office of the State Attorney announced in late May that Braverman would be called for a "pre-indictment hearing" on charges of "suspicion of fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice".

This is not the first time Braverman's name appears in connection with serious allegations. His pattern of legal exposure adds weight to Gil's claims, though it does not confirm them.

Timeline: Key Dates in the Allegation

What This Means for Aliyah and Immigration Timing

Political instability in Israel affects diaspora Jews' decisions about moving. According to Aliyah and Integration Ministry Director-General Dganit Sankar-Langa, Israel is expected to receive between 18,000 and 20,000 immigrants in 2026. However, recent trends show vulnerability: More than 69,000 Israelis left the country in 2025, while only 19,000 returned, producing a net emigration of approximately 50,000 Israeli citizens. Combined with immigration figures, the overall international migration balance was negative by approximately 20,000 people.

Criminal investigations and election uncertainty can deter new olim. The "Aliyat HaTekuma" plan set a target to absorb 30,000 new immigrants in 2026, primarily from countries suffering from a drastic rise in antisemitism, including the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. The plan would see the initial reception process take six months and full integration by the end of three years. Governance clarity becomes a recruitment asset.

FAQs: What Readers Should Know

Q: Who exactly is Avi Gil?
Maj. Gen. Gil served as military secretary to three Israeli prime ministers consecutively from 2021 to 2024. His role gave him direct access to all security briefings, intelligence summaries, and decisions made at the highest level. He is considered a credible witness because of his proximity to decision-making power and his background as a career IDF officer.

Q: What does falsifying phone records accomplish?
Changing the timestamp of a call from 6:40 a.m. to 6:29 a.m. could alter the narrative about who knew what and when. If Netanyahu received the first warning 11 minutes earlier, it changes the story about his responsiveness on the morning of the attack. This narrative matters politically, especially in election season.

Q: Is this the first time someone has alleged criminal activity in Netanyahu's office?
No. Braverman faces separate charges related to classified document leaks. Other aides and officials have faced investigations. This allegation, however, is unique because it comes from someone inside the security decision-making process, with documentary evidence (recorded calls) and a named witness (the stenographer).

Q: How does this affect aliyah eligibility or immigration law?
It does not directly affect individual aliyah applications or legal status. However, prolonged political turmoil and criminal investigations can discourage new immigration and cause emigration of recent arrivals. Institutional stability matters to potential olim from diaspora communities.

What Happens Next

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is seeking re-election on Oct. 27. The interview timing—19 days before the election—suggests strategic political messaging by the opposition. Yet Gil's claims are specific, documented (he took detailed notes), and involve corroborating evidence (the stenographer, the attorney general notification, recorded calls).

A criminal probe, if launched, would likely involve the police, the State Attorney's Office, and possibly a state comptroller review. Gil has recommended that any future inquiry demand access to original recordings rather than transcripts. His 16 notebooks will become key evidence if a formal investigation proceeds after the election.