Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Tuesday directed the IDF to provide full recordings from IDF observation posts near Gaza to the families of soldiers killed in the October 7 massacre, with only segments requiring censorship for security reasons to be withheld.

Katz explained that his decision stems from a commitment to ensuring transparency for bereaved families. He also reiterated his earlier demand that IDF investigations into the massacre be finalized before January.

On Monday, following a year-long effort by bereaved families—including a petition to the Supreme Court—the IDF announced it would share recordings of the hours surrounding October 6 and 7. However, the recordings provided were incomplete, sparking allegations that families did not receive all relevant footage of the night leading up to the deadly attacks.

The IDF maintains it is fully cooperating with the grieving families and denies withholding any information, noting that the released materials underwent extensive checks and processing, and that the provided audio includes the voices of fallen soldiers.

“The IDF will allow all families to schedule a time to hear the entire recording up to the start of the terrorist attack,” said an official IDF statement. “We are responsive to the families’ requests and have no intention of causing additional suffering. We regret any harm caused if any occurred.”

Eyal Eshel, whose son Roni fell in Nahal Oz on October 7, expressed shock at the way the IDF shared recordings from the night before the massacre, calling the delivery process “deceiving.”

“Some parents received it via email, some on a USB stick. As for the content—almost nothing,” Eshel told 103FM. “I say this with great sorrow: the cover-up and concealment continue in full force. We thought maybe the IDF learned something from our disappointment and frustration, but we see they continue to deceive and mainly to lie.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)