Overview
- Deputy Minister Almog Cohen said a Gaza source codenamed “Green Sardine” warned handlers around 3:30 a.m. of unusual gatherings of Nukhba operatives in mosques.
- Cohen asserted that at the same hour then–Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar convened division heads, yet the warning was not relayed to relevant command centers.
- He argued the early-morning gatherings, well before the first prayer time, signaled imminent action and that timely sharing might have reduced the attack’s toll.
- Cohen acknowledged he defied the military censor by naming the source, saying his remarks in the Knesset were protected by ministerial immunity.
- Yesh Atid’s Merav Ben Ari requested a criminal probe into the disclosure, the Shin Bet declined public comment, and the claims have not been independently verified.