Netanyahu Sues Haaretz Over Report Claiming UAE President Warned Him of Hamas Attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday he has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others. The suit follows a report published Monday alleging that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu of a planned Hamas attack about a week and a half before October 7th.

Netanyahu vehemently denied the report, calling it a "false fabrication" and presenting administrative and security records to refute the claim of a meeting. His office stated that a thorough review of his call logs, the National Security Council's records, and security entry logs for his office showed no such conversation took place between early September and October 7th, 2023. They also pointed out that sensitive calls between Netanyahu and bin Zayed are conducted via a special encrypted device, brought physically by an Emirati representative, a process that is always fully documented. Security checks of entry logs for the prime minister's facility during the period in question revealed no entry by an Emirati representative, which his office claims is practically impossible without meticulous security registration.

The Haaretz report, co-authored by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, claimed that a 45-minute call occurred in late September 2023. According to sources and an advisor close to the Emir, bin Zayed warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a "major move" and a "significant event" that would cause bloodshed, destabilize the Middle East, and endanger the Abraham Accords. The report further stated that Netanyahu responded calmly, believing Hamas intended to act in the West Bank, and did not share the warning with security chiefs. It also mentioned a parallel Shin Bet warning that was misinterpreted as Sinwar's intent to capture Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, with a special discussion concluding without operational decisions.

Netanyahu's office suggested the report was politically motivated, part of a "left-wing election campaign," and intended to distract from the responsibility of security officials. Netanyahu also accused top security officials, including Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, of seeing warning signs hours before the attack but failing to act or update him, allegedly out of fear of "miscalculation," which led to the failure to prevent the massacre.

The Haaretz report had previously drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who called for an immediate state commission of inquiry.