Netanyahu Denies UAE President's Hamas Attack Warning Before Oct. 7

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vehemently denied reports that the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, warned him about an impending large-scale Hamas military operation approximately ten days before the October 7th attacks. The report, published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, claims bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu for about 45 minutes in late September 2023, emphasizing that such an assault could lead to heavy bloodshed, destabilize the region, and harm the Abraham Accords. According to the report, Netanyahu responded with restraint, suggesting Hamas's focus was on the West Bank, and allegedly did not relay the conversation's contents to security officials.

Separately, the Shin Bet security agency reportedly received a similar warning in mid-September. However, the agency initially believed it pertained to intentions to transfer Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was abducted in Iraq, to Gaza. The Shin Bet viewed the intelligence as a sign of eroding deterrence and recommended assertive action or troop reinforcement. A special discussion on the matter concluded without any decisions being made. Previous reports also indicated the Shin Bet received a similar warning from Egyptian intelligence that was not acted upon.

The Prime Minister's Office issued a strong denial, stating, "An absolute lie! 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."