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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the Atarot Heritage Center in Jerusalem on July 5 (local time). / EPA, Yonhap

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a deepening political crisis ahead of next month's general election amid mounting allegations that he ignored warning signs ahead of the Hamas attack that triggered the Gaza war.

Calls holding him accountable are growing louder following revelations that he dismissed repeated advance warnings from Arab nations, compounded by public rebuttals from the head of Israel's domestic security agency.

According to The Times of Israel (TOI), former Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar issued a statement on the 28th (local time) announcing his intention to file a defamation lawsuit against Netanyahu and demanding the release of relevant documents and testimony delivered to the Prime Minister's Office.

This came in response to Netanyahu's claim that on the eve of the surprise Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Bar, then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and then-IDF Military Intelligence Chief Aharon Haliva discussed warning signs regarding a potential assault but failed to report them to him.

Netanyahu asserted that "then-Director Bar decided not to contact or brief me, did not alert civilian local defense forces or IDF troops, and chose not to evacuate people on the ground."

In response, Bar countered that he had warned of an impending catastrophe in an unprecedented manner, yet Netanyahu dismissed not only those warnings, but also recommendations to restore deterrence and reinforce border defenses.

Bar noted that while he had remained silent intending to disclose these details once a state commission of inquiry was established, he could no longer stand by as Netanyahu stalled such an inquiry and continued an offensive to shift blame onto him.

He added that his legal team would ask the court to subpoena Netanyahu's senior aides as witnesses.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Arab government officials revealed Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service (GIS), had twice alerted Israel in early October 2023 regarding signs of an imminent large-scale strike from Gaza, and called Netanyahu directly to warn him after no action was taken.

Hamas launched a surprise assault on Israel on October 7, leaving approximately 1,200 dead and around 250 taken hostage, triggering the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Sources familiar with the matter claimed that Middle Eastern nations issued multiple advance warnings to Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, ahead of the attack.

According to officials, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conveyed intelligence hinting at the possibility of a surprise Hamas strike during a September 2023 phone conversation with Netanyahu.

However, specific details regarding the timing or scale were not provided, and Netanyahu was reported to have appeared skeptical at the time.

Whether Netanyahu was aware of the threat in advance and missed opportunities to avert the massacre has remained a focal point of contention in Israeli society since the attack.

Netanyahu has consistently opposed the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the government's responsibility for the mass casualties, arguing that an appointment by the Supreme Court could be biased against the administration and that any panel should instead be formed from within the political sphere.

                                                                                                           Kim Hyun-min