Netanyahu Denies UAE President Warned Him of Oct. 7 Attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vehemently denied a report claiming that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed warned him about Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's intentions approximately ten days before the October 7th massacre. Netanyahu stated in an interview that the alleged conversation, which is the basis for the report, never took place, calling it "absolute fake." He asserted that such a significant discussion would have been officially documented and potentially recorded, with the presence of national security advisors.

The report, which originated from an investigation by Haaretz authors Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval and is featured in a new book, alleges that bin Zayed held an unusual 45-minute phone call with Netanyahu about ten days before October 7th. During this call, the UAE president reportedly warned that Sinwar was planning a "significant event," conveying a message that he was preparing an "earthquake."

According to the report, Netanyahu initially interpreted this warning as a potential escalation in the West Bank and did not inform the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, or the head of the Mossad about the conversation. The Prime Minister's Office had previously dismissed the claims, stating that Netanyahu did not speak with bin Zayed during the period in question nor receive any warning from him.

The publication has sparked significant political backlash, with opposition leaders issuing strong reactions. Yair Golan described the alleged inaction as "conscious and criminal neglect," while Naftali Bennett placed personal responsibility on Netanyahu for the intelligence failure. Gadi Eisenkot claimed that the Prime Minister "received an explicit warning, days before the massacre, from the UAE president regarding Sinwar's intentions, but did not update the heads of the security establishment."