On October 7, about 1,200 people were murdered and about 250 were taken hostage. It did not happen for lack of information. It happened despite the information. Since then, the officials have spoken: in military probes, resignation letters, cabinet protocols, and answers to the State Comptroller. We collected what they said about themselves. No commentary, no editing, no adjectives. Every quote links to its source.
Listen to their own words.
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 6:30 in the morning, thousands of Hamas terrorists breached the fence. Within hours, about 1,200 people were murdered in the border communities, at the Nova festival and on IDF bases, and about 250 were taken to Gaza. It was the hardest day in the country's history, and it did not happen for lack of information. It happened despite the information.
Since then we have been trying to understand how. Who knew, who was warned, who decided not to decide, and who was in the room the night before. The answers exist. They are scattered across IDF and Shin Bet probes, resignation statements, meeting protocols, answers to the State Comptroller and interviews. The problem is not that there are no answers. The problem is that there is no state commission of inquiry to gather them, and no one is required to stand behind them.
So we gathered them. In their own words.
What is here
Every item on this site is one quote by an official about October 7, about what preceded it, and about their own part in it. Beside it: the role, the source, the date, and a link to the original document or recording. We did not shorten, edit, or add adjectives. If a quote comes from a document representing one side, we say so. If the source is a full protocol, we link to it.
What is not here
There is no list of the guilty. A state commission of inquiry will do that, when it is established. No unsourced leaks, no "senior official", no commentary of ours. Only what people said about themselves, by name, in public.
Why
Because 1,200 murdered and 250 hostages deserve more than "we'll investigate after the war". Because whoever admitted failure must also bear responsibility. And because a public that cannot read what was said in the rooms where its life was decided cannot demand that it never happen again.
Corrections
Found an inaccurate quote, missing context, or a wrong source? Write to us. We check against the source and correct openly, noting the correction. A site whose whole strength is other people's words must be exact in every word of its own.
Listen to their own words. Then decide for yourselves.