Former Israeli Intelligence Officer Accuses Netanyahu of Blocking Oct. 7 Inquiry

A former Israeli intelligence officer, Barak Seri, has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking an independent inquiry into the events surrounding the October 7 attacks.

According to Seri, Netanyahu was "warned" and "alerted" ahead of the attacks but "ignored it all," a claim that adds to ongoing debate in Israel over accountability for security failures on that day.

Calls for a formal, independent commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 have persisted in Israel, with critics arguing that such a body is needed to examine intelligence and government failures. Netanyahu's government has so far not established the kind of state commission of inquiry that critics have demanded, relying instead on internal military and security reviews.

Netanyahu has previously said any comprehensive inquiry should wait until the fighting concludes, a position that critics, including opposition figures and families of victims, have rejected.

Pressure over the government's handling of intelligence failures ahead of October 7 has remained a persistent political issue in Israel, with some officials and commentators calling for full accountability once the war has ended.