Netanyahu's Office Denies Warning, But Not Call With UAE President

A political firestorm continues to rage following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an early warning from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed ahead of the October 7th Hamas attacks. Political correspondent Michael Shemesh of Channel 13 News highlighted a specific nuance in the Prime Minister's Office's denial, pointing out that while the office denies receiving a warning, it does not deny that a conversation between Netanyahu and bin Zayed took place.

Shemesh emphasized the distinction between denying the content of a warning and acknowledging the call itself, which occurred shortly before the outbreak of war. This reporting builds on an earlier investigation by the newspaper Haaretz, which revealed that the UAE leader initiated a direct phone call with Netanyahu days before the October 7th massacre.

According to Haaretz's report, bin Zayed explicitly alerted Netanyahu that the situation on the Gaza border was about to escalate and that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant event. The report further alleged that Netanyahu kept this conversation and its contents secret, failing to inform security officials.

While the Prime Minister's Office has categorically rejected the claim that any warning was conveyed during the call, labeling it a "complete lie," Shemesh and other commentators stress that the very existence of the conversation between the two leaders is not being denied.