Overview
- Authors Yonah Jeremy Bob and Elliot Kaufman publish an interview‑based account that traces Israel’s leadership response after Oct. 7, 2023 using conversations with senior Israeli ministers, intelligence officials, and U.S. policymakers.
- The book reports previously undeclared operational details, including Israeli hesitation to strike Hezbollah, shifting Gaza humanitarian policies, Mossad covert operations, and reporting on the lead‑up to U.S. B‑2 strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
- It describes friction between Washington and Jerusalem over tactics, saying U.S. officials pressed against a Rafah invasion that Israel later carried out and that those disputes shaped operational choices.
- The authors and cited reporting question motives behind international legal moves by the International Criminal Court by linking the timing of its accusations to controversy around then‑prosecutor Karim Khan.
- Published as Israel approaches an election and after recent U.S. sanctions on Iran, the book frames how wartime decisions altered regional alignments, arms ties, and everyday security calculations for civilians and soldiers.