Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Tuesday to release complete audio recordings from a border observation post that was overrun during Hamas's October 7 attack, responding to mounting pressure from families who say they have received only partial documentation of their loved ones' final hours.
The directive comes after a contentious release of recordings on Monday that ended abruptly at 4:48 a.m. on October 7 — hours before Hamas militants breached the Gaza border fence and attacked the Nahal Oz military post, where several female surveillance operators were stationed.
"The families deserve full transparency," Mr. Katz said in a statement, noting that only segments containing classified security information would be withheld. The minister also reiterated his mandate for the military to conclude all October 7 investigations by January's end.
The Israeli military defended its initial limited release, saying it had included "all segments where the lookouts' voices were positively identified." A military spokesperson said families would be granted access to hear the complete recordings leading up to the attack.
The controversy highlights the ongoing tensions between military protocols and families' right to information about the events that claimed more than 1,200 lives in southern Israel. The surveillance operators at Nahal Oz were among the first to encounter the Hamas assault, and their recordings could provide crucial insights into the military's initial response to the attack.
The recordings have been the subject of a year-long legal battle, with families petitioning Israel's Supreme Court for access to the complete documentation of their relatives' final shifts.
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