Netanyahu aide investigated over alleged forgery of 7 Oct events 

Israeli police are investigating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff for allegedly attempting to alter official records of crucial phone conversations from the morning of the Palestinian resistance’s 7 October attack.

Tzachi Braverman was questioned for five hours by Israel’s Lahav 433 police unit on suspicion of forgery by a public official. He allegedly tried to modify the timeline of conversations between Netanyahu and his military secretary, Major General Avi Gil, in what appears to be an attempt to portray the prime minister as more responsive in the critical early moments of the attack.

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According to the investigation, Braverman allegedly instructed a staff member to alter records to suggest Netanyahu gave orders during an initial 6:29am call, rather than in a subsequent conversation at 6:40am. The timing could prove crucial in any post-war inquiry into the governmental response to what has been described as one of Israel’s worst military failures.

The case has broader implications as Netanyahu faces mounting criticism over his handling of both the 7 October attack and the subsequent invasion of Gaza where Israel has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, on the pretext of securing the release of captives. Critics argue that his office has consistently attempted to manage public perception at the expense of transparency and, potentially, national security.

In a separate thread of investigation, police are examining allegations that Braverman improperly obtained classified minutes of security cabinet meetings from both the current government and the previous administration led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.

The revelations come amid ongoing controversy over Netanyahu’s role in the misinformation from the top of his government. The prime minister has been accused of conducting military operations in Gaza with an eye toward political survival, including allegations of selective information leaks about hostage negotiations to shore up public support.

Read: Netanyahu’s office accuses security services of sensitive security leaks

Both Braverman and the Prime Minister’s Office have vehemently denied the allegations. “This is another witch hunt against the office during wartime,” the Prime Minister’s Office is reported saying, while Braverman called the accusations “a lie from start to finish whose goal is to harm me and the Prime Minister’s Office at the height of a war.”

The investigation gains additional significance as Israel faces genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and increasing international scrutiny over its conduct in Gaza. Netanyahu’s critics suggest these latest revelations fit a pattern of prioritising political survival over transparency.

The police probe continues, with investigators having already conducted raids on the Prime Minister’s Office to gather evidence and interview staff members. The full scope of the investigation remains partially concealed due to an active gag order on certain aspects of the case.