Netanyahu Denies Receiving Hamas Attack Warning from UAE President

A report citing an excerpt from the book "Kidnapped: 843 Days of Inaction" by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a direct warning about an impending Hamas attack just over a week before October 7, 2023. According to the report, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Netanyahu in late September 2023, approximately ten days before the attack, to warn him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a large-scale operation that could destabilize the region. Netanyahu reportedly listened calmly, assured the UAE president of full control over the situation, and suggested Hamas might act in the West Bank rather than Gaza.

The information about the planned attack was allegedly relayed to bin Zayed through a complex channel originating from Sinwar himself. Sinwar, dissatisfied with stalled indirect negotiations over Palestinian prisoners, reportedly broke off contact in early September and conveyed a threat via a Fatah intermediary. This intermediary, fearing direct contact with Israeli intelligence, allegedly passed Sinwar's exact words about an impending "earthquake" to an acquaintance in Abu Dhabi, a close advisor to bin Zayed. While Israeli intelligence services had detected suspicious signals, they lacked a complete picture. Shin Bet head Ronen Bar reportedly received similar fragmented data in mid-September and recommended eliminating Hamas leadership, a decision Netanyahu postponed.

The book excerpt suggests that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, Mossad director David Barnea, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi were unaware of the UAE president's call and its contents, as Netanyahu allegedly concealed the conversation from them. However, Netanyahu's office has vehemently denied the publication, calling it "absolute lies" and stating that no such conversation with the UAE leader occurred during that period. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett publicly corroborated the Haaretz report, accusing the current premier of "criminal negligence."

Opposition leaders, including Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan, issued a joint statement demanding a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 after the formation of the next government. They asserted the public's right to know what happened before, during, and after the "massacre" and questioned Netanyahu's knowledge and timing of the events. The opposition accused Netanyahu and his circle of spreading "false conspiracy theories" and attempting to shift blame to the security establishment, urging an end to "excuses, denials, and concealment."

Topaz Luk, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, also rejected the Haaretz report on Kan radio, reiterating that the conversation never happened and that such a high-level discussion would have been documented and involved national security officials. Luk stated that Netanyahu would not have kept such a warning to himself but would have raised the alarm.