Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said in an interview published Thursday that he was “sorry” that Hamas was able to carry out its October 7 attack, without explicitly taking responsibility.
Mr Netanyahu, who has resisted making an apology for security failures over Israel’s worst-ever breach, was asked if he would apologize during an interview with Time magazine.
“Apologize?” he was quoted as replying. “Of course, of course. I am sorry, deeply, that something like this happened. And you always look back and you say, ‘Could we have done things that would have prevented it?’” he said.
Mr Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and has long billed himself as a staunch protector of Israel’s security. Shortly after the October 7 attack, Mr Netanyahu posted on social media that intelligence services had failed to anticipate the Hamas operation and warn him.
He deleted and apologised for that post after numerous Israelis accused him of deflecting blame and jeopardising national unity.
