Netanyahu Was Warned of Hamas Attack Plans, Sources Claim

Sources involved in critical security discussions in 2023 claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a direct warning from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan about an impending "major event" planned by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. This warning, according to three Israeli sources speaking to N12, was not shared with other participants in the high-level meetings, creating a significant intelligence gap.

These individuals stated that had they been aware of this specific diplomatic alert, their assessment of the threat might have been different, potentially leading to alternative conclusions. They described the prime minister's characteristic "containment and suspicion" as costly, suggesting that if Netanyahu had shared information from his direct conversations with the UAE and possibly Egypt, the outcome could have been altered.

One senior security official noted that the lack of this information led to a more lenient interpretation of Sinwar's actions, with the prevailing belief being that Sinwar would not reveal his plans if he intended to execute them. Instead, some believed Sinwar was seeking a prisoner exchange. The sources emphasized that while it's impossible to definitively say the October 7th attack would have been prevented, the withholding of this intelligence provides another explanation for Netanyahu's opposition to a state-funded investigation committee.

In response to the report, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement calling the reports "false," asserting that no such warning was conveyed to Netanyahu from the UAE before October 7th and that any relevant information would have been shared through established intelligence channels between the two countries.