Netanyahu Denies Receiving Hamas Warning from UAE President Before Oct. 7

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has vehemently denied reports that he received a direct warning from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about an impending major Hamas operation led by Yahya Sinwar approximately one week before the October 7th attacks. The report, published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, cited sources claiming bin Zayed warned Netanyahu that Sinwar was planning a significant move that could ignite the Middle East and urged Israel to be prepared.

According to the Haaretz report, Netanyahu responded calmly to the information, reportedly believing Hamas intended to act in the West Bank and assuring bin Zayed that Israel was ready for any scenario. The conversation between Netanyahu and bin Zayed was said to have lasted 45 minutes, during which the UAE president expressed concern that the planned event would not only cause bloodshed but also destabilize the entire region and harm the Abraham Accords. A close advisor to the UAE president reportedly told Haaretz that bin Zayed advised Netanyahu to prepare for the threat and suggested seeking economic solutions for Gaza and calming the West Bank to prevent escalation.

Despite the alleged warning from the UAE president, the report claims Netanyahu did not update top security officials. However, Haaretz also reported that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) received a similar warning in mid-September 2023 regarding Sinwar's intentions. Shin Bet officials reportedly interpreted this warning as possibly related to the Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who had been abducted in Iraq, and considered it a serious indicator of a lack of Israeli deterrence. The Shin Bet chief allegedly recommended strong actions in Gaza or increased defenses near the Gaza Strip and West Bank, but no decisions were made in a subsequent special discussion.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and National Unity party leader Gadi Eisenkot have both criticized Netanyahu following the report, with Bennett calling it "true" and accusing Netanyahu of personal responsibility for the failures leading up to October 7th. Eisenkot echoed these sentiments, stating that "more and more signs indicate" Netanyahu led Israel "blindly into the October 7th disaster." Both have called for a state commission of inquiry into the events. The October 7th Forum, representing victims' families, also demanded an investigation into what warnings were received and how they were handled.

In response to the Haaretz report, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement calling the report "an absolute lie" and asserting that "Prime Minister Netanyahu did not speak with the President of the United Arab Emirates during the period in question and did not receive any warning from him."