Netanyahu's Office Denies UAE Warning of Hamas Attack

The Prime Minister's Office in Israel has denied reports claiming that the UAE President, Mohammed bin Zayed, had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about an impending large-scale Hamas attack. These reports, citing media sources, suggested that bin Zayed had informed Netanyahu of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's plans for a major operation against Israel approximately ten days before the October 7, 2023, attack.

The Prime Minister's Office stated unequivocally that these reports are false and that Netanyahu did not receive any such warnings from the UAE prior to October 7. However, the statement did acknowledge that important information could be exchanged between the two countries through intelligence channels.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not directly confirm or deny the alleged conversation, only stating that Israel and the Emirates maintain open communication channels and share relevant information when necessary. Meanwhile, several senior Israeli officials involved in security discussions before October 7 told Channel 12 that knowledge of such information could have altered their assessment of the situation.

These officials suggested that if they had been aware of Netanyahu's alleged conversations with UAE and possibly Egyptian representatives, they might have reached different conclusions and examined the situation more thoroughly. Further details emerged from statements by former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, who reportedly told an associate days after the attack that warnings had been conveyed to Israel but did not receive an adequate response.