Biden Administration Unaware of UAE Hamas Attack Warning

The Biden administration was not aware of any specific warning from the United Arab Emirates regarding Hamas's planned large-scale attack before October 7, according to a report by i24News. The report, citing two sources familiar with the matter, also stated that the administration did not hear about such a concrete warning from the UAE even after the October 7th massacre. The report clarified that the Biden administration's lack of awareness does not mean Israel did not receive a warning.

This comes after a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz claimed that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a week and a half before the October 7th attack. During that conversation, bin Zayed reportedly warned Netanyahu that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant move against Israel, which could lead to bloodshed and regional instability.

According to the Haaretz investigation, Netanyahu allegedly believed the impending action concerned the West Bank and that Israeli security officials were not informed of this specific warning. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that did not deny the conversation but stated, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the UAE government does not respond to media stories or speculations regarding conversations between government leaders." The statement added that the UAE's involvement since October 7 has consistently aimed at de-escalation, regional stability, and preventing violence.

Furthermore, the UAE clarified that its government and Israeli government officials maintain open and direct communication lines, and relevant intelligence has been and continues to be shared between the parties when necessary, since the normalization of relations between the countries over five years ago.