UAE President Warned Netanyahu of Gaza Attack Weeks Before Oct. 7

Weeks before the October 7th Hamas attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly received a warning from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about Yahya Sinwar preparing for a "significant event" against Israel. According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, bin Zayed feared such an action could ignite widespread bloodshed, destabilize the Middle East, and endanger the Abraham Accords.

During the conversation, bin Zayed's advisor, a Palestinian who had emigrated from Gaza to Abu Dhabi and maintained strong ties to the Strip, relayed that the UAE president believed Sinwar was planning a major move and advised Israel to be prepared. The advisor also suggested finding an economic solution for Gaza and calming the West Bank to prevent escalation.

Netanyahu, however, reportedly dismissed the warning, stating Israel was prepared for any scenario. The Prime Minister's Office has vehemently denied this account, calling it a "complete lie" and stating Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question nor receive any warning.

Further complicating the timeline, in mid-September 2023, Sinwar allegedly sent a message to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) stating, "Tell the Israelis that if they don't advance, I'm preparing a huge surprise for them, tell them to expect an earthquake." However, senior officials reportedly believed this warning was related to Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who had been abducted in Iraq, and that Sinwar intended to use her to negotiate the release of Palestinian prisoners.