UAE Responds to Netanyahu Warning Report, Doesn't Deny

The United Arab Emirates has responded to reports claiming its president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, personally warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack prior to October 7th. The Prime Minister's Office issued a strong denial in English, stating, "The press reports are false. No warning was given to the Prime Minister from the UAE before October 7. If there was any relevant information, it was transferred through intelligence channels between the two countries."

Simultaneously, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs released its own statement. Abu Dhabi emphasized that the UAE government does not typically comment on media publications or speculate on leaders' conversations. However, the statement noted that since October 7th, the UAE has consistently worked to de-escalate tensions, maintain regional stability, and prevent violence. It also highlighted that Israeli and Emirati government officials have maintained direct and open communication channels since relations were established over five years ago.

The Emirati response did not confirm or explicitly deny the specific claim of a personal warning from bin Zayed to Netanyahu about a Hamas attack. Instead, it referred to the established communication and intelligence channels between the two nations, stating that "all relevant intelligence was and continues to be transferred between the relevant parties" when necessary.

The controversy began with an investigative report published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, partly based on a new book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. The report alleged that about ten days before the October 7th attack, bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu for approximately 45 minutes, warning him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a "big move" against Israel. Bin Zayed reportedly expressed concerns about potential bloodshed, regional instability, and the impact on the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu allegedly responded that Israel was prepared for any scenario and believed the primary threat at the time came from the West Bank.

The Haaretz report further claimed that Netanyahu did not relay the content of this alleged warning to top security officials. Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reportedly told Haaretz they were not informed of the alleged Emirati president's warning. The investigation also pointed to other messages received in the weeks prior regarding Sinwar's intentions, including information passed via a Palestinian intermediary in mid-September 2023 about unusual statements by the Hamas leader, and a message from Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to Netanyahu about a potential unusual Hamas operation.