Netanyahu to Sue Haaretz Over Report on UAE President's Hamas Warning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper Haaretz, calling a report alleging the President of the United Arab Emirates warned him of an impending Hamas invasion on October 7th a "false fabrication." Netanyahu vehemently denied the report, stating, "There was no such conversation with the President of the Emirates." He asserted that his office, the National Security Council, and the Military Secretary meticulously checked his call logs and found no record of such a discussion. Netanyahu further claimed that policy discussions with the UAE president are exclusively held in his office via a special encrypted device and are always documented.

Haaretz's investigative report, published Tuesday by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, claimed that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Netanyahu several days before the October 7th massacre. According to the report, bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of Hamas's intentions to launch an attack. The report further alleged that Netanyahu reassured the UAE president, stating that Israel's focus was on the West Bank and that it was prepared for any scenario. It also claimed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar conveyed a message through the UAE president, saying, "Tell them I am preparing a surprise for them from the land of surprises. A formidable operation. Something extraordinary," and repeatedly used the word "earthquake."

Netanyahu also criticized former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, stating that if they had updated him in time, the "terrible massacre" could have been prevented. He drew a parallel to a previous claim about Egypt warning him of an attack, which he said was debunked early in the war, calling the Haaretz report a "malicious fabrication with clear political timing as part of the left's election campaign."

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett corroborated the report's claims, stating he knew the information about bin Zayed's warning was true and added that Egypt's head of intelligence had also warned Netanyahu of a planned large-scale operation days before the attack. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on X, saying the government does not comment on media speculation regarding leaders' conversations but affirmed that "relevant intelligence has been and continues to be shared" between the UAE and Israel.

The Haaretz report sparked significant public outcry, with opposition leaders demanding an immediate and thorough investigation. They accused Netanyahu of lying and attempting to shift blame to the security establishment, asserting that serious warnings had reached him directly and he had ignored them. They called for a state commission of inquiry to be established immediately by the next government, emphasizing that the Israeli public deserves to know what Netanyahu knew and when he knew it.