Netanyahu Denies UAE President Warned Him of Oct. 7 Attack

A report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Tuesday claimed that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed had explicitly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a potential large-scale attack by Hamas approximately ten days before the October 7, 2023, events. According to the report, bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu for 45 minutes, stating that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning "something big" against Israel, which could lead to significant bloodshed, regional destabilization, and impact the Abraham Accords.

The UAE president reportedly urged Netanyahu to prepare for the threat and suggested Israel explore economic solutions for Gaza and de-escalate tensions in the West Bank. Haaretz cited an advisor close to the UAE president who said bin Zayed advised Netanyahu to "find an economic solution for the Gaza Strip and calm the situation in the West Bank and prevent escalation."

Despite the alleged warning, Netanyahu reportedly informed bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario but did not relay the specific warning to Israeli security chiefs. Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the report, stating, "This is a lie! Prime Minister Netanyahu did not speak with the President of the United Arab Emirates during the mentioned period and did not receive any warning from him."

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that the report was true and that Netanyahu bore personal responsibility for the events. Benny Gantz, a candidate for prime minister, asserted that Netanyahu is unfit to continue in his role and pledged to establish an official investigation committee to examine the failures leading up to the October 7 attack. The United Arab Emirates has not yet issued a response to the Haaretz report.