Shin Bet Chief Warned Netanyahu of Hamas Attack Days Before Oct. 7

A week before the October 7th Hamas attack, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a direct demand to assassinate top Hamas officials. Bar warned Netanyahu that Hamas was "preparing something extreme," even using the phrase "earthquake" to describe the impending threat, according to a security official.

Bar's recommendation included targeting Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior figures. However, Netanyahu did not approve the proposed assassinations. The security official confirmed that the information presented to the Prime Minister was accurate and that the recommendation was made, but it was not acted upon.

Around the same time, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed advised Netanyahu to pursue an economic solution for Gaza and de-escalate tensions in the West Bank. Netanyahu reportedly responded calmly, suggesting Hamas's focus would be on the West Bank and assuring bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario. Bin Zayed also shared his concerns with then-CIA Director William Burns, warning that "something is about to explode."

Notably, the article claims that the warning bin Zayed conveyed to Netanyahu was not shared with other top security officials, including the heads of the Mossad and the IDF. They were reportedly unaware of the specific alert the Prime Minister had received.

Security officials also pushed back against the idea that an earlier alert to Netanyahu or the Defense Minister on the night of October 6-7 would have necessarily prevented the attack. They stated that the intelligence available at the time was incomplete and did not clearly indicate Hamas's offensive intentions, with some information suggesting a continuation of routine in Gaza. They argued that even if alerted, the time required for a high-level assessment and decision-making would have brought the discussion too close to the attack's commencement.