October 7 and Its Aftermath: The Unanswered Questions, Netanyahu’s Accountability and Palestine’s Unending Tragedy. 10月7日及其后续：未解之问、内塔尼亚胡的问责与巴勒斯坦的无尽悲剧。
(下边有中文翻译，请继续看到底。 谢谢。）
Three years after the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, Israel continues to face difficult questions about intelligence failures, political responsibility and the devastating consequences of its military campaign in Gaza. Recent revelations by former Israeli military secretary Maj. Gen. (res.) Avi Gil have renewed demands for a credible investigation into what the government knew, when it knew it, and whether the public has been given a complete account.
These questions are not merely an internal Israeli political dispute. They concern the lives of thousands of civilians, the credibility of government institutions and the international community’s commitment to justice.
The Questions Netanyahu Must Answer
Gil, who served as Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary during the October 7 attack, has challenged the prime minister’s account of the events. He has alleged that Netanyahu’s 55-page submission to the state comptroller presents only part of the truth and warned that official records may have been altered. Israeli police have investigated allegations concerning attempts to change records of cabinet meetings and telephone conversations, including actions allegedly involving senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office. These allegations require independent examination; they should not be treated as established findings of guilt.
Questions about warnings are equally serious. Recent reporting has revived allegations that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel warned Israeli officials before the attack that Hamas was preparing a major operation. Reports differ over what was communicated, who received the warnings, and whether the information was sufficiently specific to prevent the assault. Netanyahu has denied receiving some of the reported warnings.
The distinction matters. Evidence of warnings, intelligence failures, or efforts to reshape official records would warrant serious accountability. However, these reports do not, by themselves, establish that Netanyahu deliberately organized or engineered the October 7 attack as a false-flag operation. That claim requires independently verified evidence. The proper response is neither unquestioning acceptance of the government’s account nor replacing suspicion with proof, but a genuinely independent investigation with access to relevant records and witnesses.
Gaza’s Civilians Must Not Pay the Price
Whatever the eventual findings about Israel’s political and security failures, the consequences for Palestinians have been catastrophic. Gaza has endured mass displacement, extensive destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and profound humanitarian suffering. Palestinian civilians must not be collectively punished for Hamas’s actions.
The October 7 attack killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, according to Israeli figures. The killing and abduction of civilians were grave crimes. Recognizing these crimes, however, does not absolve Israeli authorities of their obligations under international humanitarian law. Nor does it diminish Palestinians’ rights to life, dignity, freedom and self-determination.
The international community must insist that alleged violations by every party be investigated impartially. Civilian protection cannot depend on nationality, religion or political affiliation. A government’s security concerns cannot justify indiscriminate violence, forced displacement or the denial of essential humanitarian assistance.
Political Divisions and the Need for Accountability
Recent divisions within Israel’s right-wing coalition further demonstrate the importance of transparent political institutions. Reports that Netanyahu’s Likud party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party excluded National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s party from an election mobilization conference point to tensions over coalition strategy and the composition of a future government.
Meanwhile, Gil’s allegations have intensified demands for a state commission of inquiry. Netanyahu’s party has dismissed his statements as political propaganda, while supporters of an investigation argue that the public deserves a complete and credible account.
Political disagreement cannot substitute for institutional accountability. The victims of October 7, their families, and the Palestinian population affected by the war all deserve truth, justice, and meaningful protection.
Justice Is the Only Sustainable Way Forward
The international community should press for an independent investigation into the October 7 security failures, transparent preservation of official records, accountability for any proven misconduct, protection of civilians, and unrestricted humanitarian relief. Allegations of deliberate orchestration must be investigated if credible evidence emerges, rather than declared facts before they are established.
Ultimately, neither Israeli security nor Palestinian freedom can be achieved through perpetual violence and impunity. A just and lasting settlement must recognize Palestinians’ right to self-determination, end unlawful occupation and provide security and equal human dignity for both peoples.
The central question is no longer whether difficult questions should be asked. It is whether political leaders will permit those questions to be answered honestly. Truth cannot restore the lives already lost, but without truth, accountability, and justice, the cycle of suffering will continue.
10月7日及其后续：未解之问、内塔尼亚胡的问责与巴勒斯坦的无尽悲剧。
在2023年10月7日哈马斯发动袭击三年后，以色列仍面临关于情报失误、政治责任以及其在加沙军事行动所造成毁灭性后果的诸多难题。前以色列军务部长阿维·吉尔少将（已退休）近期披露的信息，再次呼吁对政府当时所知的情况、是否知情，以及公众是否获得完整真相展开可信调查。
这些问题并非仅是内部的政治争端，而是关乎数千名平民的生命安全、政府机构的公信力，以及国际社会对正义的承诺。
内塔尼亚胡必须回答的问题
吉尔曾在10月7日袭击事件期间担任本雅明·内塔尼亚胡的军务部长，他质疑总理对事件经过的陈述。他声称，内塔尼亚胡提交给国家审计长的长达55页报告仅呈现了部分真相，并警告称官方记录可能已被篡改。以色列警方已调查有关试图篡改内阁会议和电话通话记录的指控，其中包括涉嫌涉及总理办公室高级官员的行为。这些指控需要独立审查，不应被视为已确认的有罪结论。
关于警告的质疑同样严重。近期报道重新引发了有关埃及情报部门负责人阿巴斯·卡迈勒在袭击前曾向以色列官员发出警告、称哈马斯正准备发动大规模行动的说法。但相关报道对所传达内容、谁接收到警告以及信息是否足够具体以阻止袭击存在分歧。内塔尼亚胡否认收到了部分被报导的警告。
这一区别至关重要。任何有关警告、情报失误或试图篡改官方记录的证据，都应引发严肃问责。然而，仅凭这些报道本身，并不能证明内塔尼亚胡故意策划或操纵了10月7日的袭击事件，将其作为虚假旗号行动。该说法需要经过独立核实的证据支持。正确的应对方式既不是盲目接受政府的说法，也不是用证据取代怀疑，而应开展真正独立的调查，并获得相关记录和证人的访问权限。
加沙平民不应为此付出代价
无论最终对以色列政治与安全失败的调查结果如何，其对巴勒斯坦人民造成的后果都是灾难性的。加沙经历了大规模流离失所、大量民宅和民用基础设施被毁以及严重的 humanitarian 痛苦。巴勒斯坦平民不应因哈马斯的行为而受到集体惩罚。
据以色列方面统计，10月7日的袭击造成约1200人死伤，并导致251名人质被绑架。杀害和绑架平民属于严重罪行。然而，承认这些罪行并不免除以色列当局在国际人道法下的责任，也不削弱巴勒斯坦人民的生命权、尊严权、自由权和自决权。
国际社会必须坚持要求各方涉嫌违反行为得到公正调查。平民保护不应取决于国籍、宗教或政治归属。政府的安全关切不能成为无差别暴力、强制流离失所或拒绝提供基本人道援助的正当理由。
政治分歧与问责的必要性
以色列右翼联盟近期的内部分裂进一步凸显了透明政治制度的重要性。有报道称，内塔尼亚胡领导的利库德集团以及财政部长贝扎莱尔·斯莫特里希领导的宗教犹太复国主义党，将国家安全部长伊塔马尔·本-甘维尔所属政党排除在选举动员会议之外，这反映出双方在联盟战略及未来政府组成问题上的紧张关系。
与此同时，吉尔的指控加剧了对成立国家调查委员会的要求。内塔尼亚胡的政党已将他的言论斥为政治宣传，而支持调查的人士则认为，公众理应获得全面且可信的真相陈述。
政治分歧无法取代制度化的问责机制。10月7日事件的受害者、他们的家属以及受战争影响的巴勒斯坦民众，都值得获得真相、正义和切实的保护。
正义是唯一可持续的前进之路
国际社会应推动对10月7日安全失误事件展开独立调查，确保官方记录的透明保存，对任何被证实的不当行为追究责任，保护平民，并保障无限制的人道主义援助。一旦出现可信证据，必须对蓄意策划的指控进行调查，而非在事实确立之前就宣布为真。
最终，以色列的安全与巴勒斯坦的自由都无法通过持续的暴力和有罪不罚来实现。一个公正且持久的解决方案必须承认巴勒斯坦人民的自决权，结束非法占领，并为两个民族提供安全和同等的人类尊严。
核心问题已不再是是否应该提出艰难的问题，而是政治领导人是否会允许这些问题得到诚实的回答。真相无法挽回已经失去的生命，但若没有真相、问责与正义，苦难的循环将不断延续。
(注意： 本文是用AI翻译的，或有误差。请以原版英文为准。谢谢。)
Reference Link:- https://www2.apdnews.cn/en/item/26/1012/axjganmke4b091531b2dd9.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
