The Chief of Staff's diary, which documents the schedule of Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi on the morning of October 7, 2023, was revealed this morning (Tuesday) for the first time, following a petition filed by the "Hazlacha" (Victory) association.
The documents show that the Chief of Staff began his day at 7 am - shortly after Hamas's murderous terror attack on the communities surrounding Gaza began - and began holding a series of conversations and consultations with senior IDF and defense officials. The first meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took place only about three hours later.
According to the documentation, half an hour after the attacks began, Herzi Halevi held an initial "situation briefing" - a brief discussion in which an initial situational picture was provided to senior commanders. During the first two hours, the Chief of Staff spoke with the Commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, and with the then-Police Commissioner, Kobi Shabtai. At around 9 am, he met with then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Later in the morning, shortly after 11:00 AM, a conversation took place with the Air Force Commander, Major General Tomer Bar, as well as a conversation with the then-IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari – minutes before the latter appeared in front of the cameras and declared: “We are in a state of war.”
As noon approached, the Chief of Staff continued a round of conversations and situational assessments, including with the Northern Command Commander amid concerns about a flare-up in the Lebanese sector. Later that day, he spoke with the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister, before the cabinet meeting began at 2 pm – a meeting that lasted about two and a half hours.
Afterwards, in the afternoon and evening, a situational assessment by the General Staff took place, which lasted about two hours, followed by an hour-long operators' forum. During the night, the cabinet convened again for a discussion that lasted until 2 am.
The IDF stated in response to a Freedom of Information request that extensive resources were invested in publishing the diary "to ensure that the provision of the information will not harm interests protected by law." The military also clarified that the list of participants in the meetings cannot be provided and that there is no obligation to complete missing information if it is not in the diary.
The published diary includes the Chief of Staff's schedule only from 7 am and onward, and does not include the hours preceding the attack - during which consultations and warnings at various levels apparently took place.