Israel Denies UAE Warning Before Oct. 7 Attack

Israel's President's Residence has officially denied reports that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed warned Israeli President Isaac Herzog of an impending attack before October 7. The denial comes in response to a Haaretz newspaper investigation.

According to the Haaretz report, bin Zayed had a "significant" phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alerting him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a "significant event" and had conveyed a message about preparing an "earthquake." The President's Residence stated that President Herzog was unaware of any such warning and that his conversations with the UAE president in the months prior to October 7 focused solely on social matters and bilateral relations, not security issues or Hamas.

The Prime Minister's Office also denied the report, announcing that Netanyahu has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz, journalist Schlomo Eldar, and others involved. An internal review by the Prime Minister's office, the National Security Council, and the Military Secretariat found no documentation of such a conversation between early September and October 7.

However, an Emirati source told N12 that a warning was indeed conveyed to Netanyahu before the October 7 massacre. The source criticized leaders who "are willing to gamble with your lives if it gives them half an hour in power," suggesting the UAE's official statement did not deny the event occurred.

The Haaretz report sparked political turmoil, with opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan calling for an immediate state commission of inquiry to uncover the events leading up to, during, and after the October 7 massacre.