Culture Minister Miki Zohar claims Hamas plotted Oct. 7 attacks during Bennett-Lapid gov't

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar stated that Hamas planned the October 7, 2023, massacre while the government was led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Zohar attributed the attacks to the government's perceived weakness, citing the presence of an Arab party in the coalition. He acknowledged that the massacre occurred during his government's watch, but claimed it was planned during the previous government's term. Intelligence reportedly showed that former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar planned the attacks after seeing the government's weakness.