Netanyahu Received Secret UAE Warning on Hamas Attack Plans

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly informed of Hamas's preparations for the October 7th attack through a classified diplomatic channel, according to three Israeli sources involved in high-level security meetings prior to the tragedy. These sources, speaking for the first time about the matter, confirmed to Channel 12 that Netanyahu received a diplomatic warning from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, in addition to other known intelligence and Shin Bet information. Crucially, only Netanyahu was aware of this specific warning at the time.

This revelation adds weight to previous reports suggesting Israel received a secret warning from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar himself, which was reportedly misinterpreted by Israeli security and political echelons. While some questioned how Sinwar, the alleged architect of the October 7th attack, could have issued a warning intended to prevent it, the new information indicates a separate, direct communication to Netanyahu.

During a closed-door security meeting in 2023, held before the Jewish High Holidays, a significant information gap emerged. Attendees, excluding Netanyahu, were unaware of the diplomatic alert from the UAE concerning Sinwar's preparations for a major assault on Israel. A senior Israeli official present at these key meetings stated that the details of Netanyahu's conversations with the UAE president, and potentially others, were not shared, creating a situation where intelligence analysts interpreted available data with excessive optimism.

The official further suggested that existing tensions and mistrust between Netanyahu and the security establishment exacerbated the situation. Knowledge of the Prime Minister's direct contacts with the UAE and possibly Egypt could have led to different conclusions during the meetings. Previously, it was reported that days before October 7th, Netanyahu was offered the opportunity to carry out targeted assassinations of Yahya Sinwar and other senior Hamas leaders.