UAE Declines to Confirm or Deny Reports of Pre-Oct. 7 Warning to Netanyahu

The United Arab Emirates has issued a brief statement regarding reports that its president warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending significant move by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar weeks before the October 7th attacks. The UAE's statement indicated that the nation "does not comment on media reports or speculation regarding discussions between government leaders," thus neither confirming nor denying the allegations.

This comes after Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the reports, calling them "completely false" in both Hebrew and English. A spokesperson stated that no warning was given to the Prime Minister by the UAE prior to October 7th, and that any relevant intelligence would have been shared through official intelligence channels between the two countries.

The original report, published by "Haaretz," claimed that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conveyed a message to Netanyahu suggesting Sinwar was preparing a major operation. The report suggested bin Zayed feared this could lead to widespread bloodshed, regional instability, and jeopardize the Abraham Accords. The report also mentioned a Palestinian advisor to bin Zayed, who had ties to Gaza, participated in the discussion and advised Israel to prepare while also pursuing economic solutions for Gaza.

Further context was provided by a separate message from Sinwar to the Shin Bet in mid-September 2023, threatening Israel with a "huge surprise" if it did not "progress." At the time, officials reportedly believed Sinwar was referring to Israeli captive Elisabeth Tsurkov and planning to use her for a prisoner exchange.

Netanyahu's office had previously dismissed the initial report as a "complete lie," asserting that the Prime Minister had not spoken with the UAE president during the relevant period nor received any warning from him.