Benjamin Netanyahu says he is “sorry” for not being able to “prevent” the attack October 7

The Israeli Prime Minister, interviewed by the American magazine “Time”, did not, however, acknowledge his responsibility for the failure of his government and its security apparatus in the face of the attack perpetrated by Hamas.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Israel, on August 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum / AFP)

Benjamin Netanyahu said to himself “Sorry” that Hamas was able to attack Israel on October 7 and not to have been able to do so”to prevent” in an interview published Thursday by the American magazine TimeThe prime minister did not go so far as to explicitly acknowledge his possible responsibility. The politician has never apologized for the failure of his government and its security apparatus in the face of the worst attack in Israel’s history.

“Apologize? (…) Of course, of course. I’m sorry, deeply, that something like this happened. And you’re constantly looking back and thinking, ‘Could we have done something to prevent it?'” he told the magazine as the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its eleventh month.

The October 7 attack by Hamas commandos in southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data. Of the 251 people kidnapped, 111 are still being held in Gaza, including 39 who died, according to the army.

In retaliation, Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has so far killed 39,699 people, including at least 22 in 24 hours, according to data from the Hamas-led Gaza government’s health ministry, which does not provide details on the number of civilians and fighters killed. The offensive has plunged the territory into a humanitarian catastrophe and displaced almost all of its 2.4 million inhabitants.


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