[…] an unrelenting stream of well-sourced, detailed stories has suddenly appeared, documenting multiple failures by [Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu] to either heed warnings [on 2023-10-07] of a possible Hamas strike, or to seize early opportunities to rescue the hundreds of hostages taken by the terrorist group.

What gives the story an electrifying geopolitical edge is that the revelations over the last month have come from some of the most powerful figures in the Middle East, including senior figures from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, multiple Israeli defence and intelligence sources, and sources in the United States.

Netanyahu has branded as “lies” the stories that include details of secret flights and covert phone calls. But tellingly, other governments have not denied them.