## 2024-08-09 19:23:51
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret that Hamas was able to attack his country on October 7, stating that he was unable to prevent the incident. This information was reported by Agence France-Presse, citing an interview Netanyahu gave to Time magazine.
Despite the attack, Netanyahu has yet to apologize for the failure of the government and security services to prevent it. In the interview, he was asked specifically about issuing apologies to the Israeli public.
“Should I apologize? Of course, of course. I am deeply sorry that something like this happened. You constantly look back and ask, ‘Could we have done things to prevent this?'” Netanyahu responded to the question.
The interview also touched upon the potential response if a political opponent were in power on October 7 and faced the worst security failure in Israel‘s history. Netanyahu stated that his position would depend on the eventual outcome of any military operation.
Protests against Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict in Gaza and calls for the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave have been ongoing in Israel for months.
The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israeli territory, with around 250 individuals being taken hostage and transported to Gaza. In response, Israel launched an operation in the enclave, leading to the deaths of approximately 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
As of the latest update, 111 hostages remain in Gaza, with 39 believed to have perished.