UAE Offers Vague Response to Report of Pre-Attack Warning to Netanyahu

The United Arab Emirates has issued a non-committal response to a report claiming that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending Hamas attack approximately ten days before the October 7th massacre. The UAE government stated it does not comment on media reports or speculation regarding conversations between leaders. Since October 7th, the UAE's efforts have focused on de-escalation, regional stability, and curbing violence.

The UAE statement acknowledged that government officials in both the UAE and Israel have maintained open communication channels since relations were established over five years ago, including the exchange of relevant intelligence information when necessary. The original report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz alleged that Netanyahu believed Hamas's intentions were focused on the West Bank and that he did not share the details of the alleged conversation with senior security officials. The report also mentioned that the Shin Bet received a similar warning in mid-September, which was assessed as pertaining to the potential transfer of Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, abducted in Iraq, to Gaza.

Past reports have also suggested that Egyptian intelligence issued a similar warning to the Shin Bet that was not acted upon. However, the Prime Minister's office vehemently denied the report, calling it a "complete lie" and stating that Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the specified period nor receive any warning from him.