A media furor in Israel arose after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu published a post on Twitter overnight Motzei Shabbos asserting that he had received absolutely no warnings from the heads of the Shin Bet and IDF intelligence about the Hamas assault. Netanyahu wrote: “Contrary to the false claims, under no circumstances and at no stage was I provided any warning on the intentions of Hamas to wage war. On the contrary, all the security sources, including the heads of the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate and Shin Bet, assessed that Hamas was deterred. This was the assessment submitted time after time to the prime minister and the cabinet by all the sources in the defense and the intelligence community right up until the outbreak of the war.” Netanyahu issued the statement in the wake of questions he received at a press conference he held on Motzei Shabbos – the first time he publicly responded to questions from the press since the war began. The prime minister was questioned about claims that he received specific warnings about an increased chance of war from the heads of the  Shin Bet and IDF intelligence. The tweet provoked a storm of criticism, including from Netanyahu’s new government partner, Benny Gantz. In response, Netanyahu deleted the tweet on Sunday and later issued an apology, stating: “I was wrong. The statements I made following the press conference [on Motzei Shabbos] should not have been said and I apologize for it. I give full support to all the heads of the security agencies. I support the IDF Chief of Staff and IDF officers and soldiers who are at the front and are fighting for our home. Together, we’ll be victorious.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)