Netanyahu Warned of Hamas Attack by UAE President Before Oct. 7, Report Claims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an explicit warning from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about an impending Hamas attack ten days before the October 7th war began, according to a Haaretz investigation. The report, part of research for the book 'Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment,' states that in late September 2023, bin Zayed held an unusual 45-minute phone call with Netanyahu, alerting him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant event. Despite this warning, Netanyahu reportedly reacted with indifference, assuring the UAE president that Hamas's focus was on the West Bank and that Israel was prepared for any scenario. He did not update the Defense Minister, IDF Chief of Staff, Shin Bet chief, or Mossad chief about the conversation. Concurrently, Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel allegedly conveyed a similar message to the Prime Minister's office, receiving the same response that Israel controlled the Gaza situation and was concentrating forces in the West Bank. Haaretz reporter Shlomi Aldar also revealed that a week before bin Zayed's warning, Sinwar sent a message to the Shin Bet chief indicating he was preparing an "earthquake," which the Shin Bet misinterpreted as relating to the abduction of Elizabeth Tsurkov in Iraq. The investigation also touched upon the handling of the hostage crisis in the war's initial days, noting that Qatar's Prime Minister approached Mossad chief David Barnea on the evening of October 7th with a Hamas offer to release all civilians in exchange for mediation, an offer Barnea rejected. Netanyahu's diplomatic advisor, Ofir Falk, stated at the time that Israel would not negotiate. The Prime Minister's office vehemently denied the report, calling it a "complete lie" and stating Netanyahu never spoke with the UAE president or received such a warning. Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar confirmed they were not briefed on any such warning. The 'October 7th Forum,' representing victims' families, stated that "more and more publications point to warning signs and alerts that arrived in the days before the massacre" and called for a state commission of inquiry into what information was received by the Prime Minister and what actions were taken. National Unity party leader Gadi Eisenkot commented that Netanyahu "led Israel blindly into the October 7th failure" and, citing the report, questioned why security chiefs were not updated.