Netanyahu to Sue Haaretz Over Report on Pre-Oct. 7 UAE Warning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his legal team to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others involved in a report alleging that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned him before the October 7 Hamas attack. Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the report, calling it a "false slander that never happened." They stated that checks of Netanyahu's call logs and records from the National Security Council and military secretariat between early September and October 7, 2023, revealed no conversation with the UAE president during that period. The Prime Minister's office also noted that direct contact with bin Zayed typically occurred through an Emirati envoy using secure communication devices, and a review of visitor logs did not show such a visit.

The Haaretz report, based on an investigation by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval for their book "Hostages: 843 Days of Inaction," claims bin Zayed warned Netanyahu approximately ten days before the attack that Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation that could cause bloodshed and destabilize the region. Netanyahu's office denies both the conversation and the transmission of such a warning.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when asked about the publication, did not directly confirm or deny the conversation, stating that the UAE does not comment on speculation regarding contacts between leaders. However, Abu Dhabi emphasized that direct communication channels are maintained between the two countries and that relevant intelligence information has been shared with Israel when necessary.