UAE Official Confirms Abu Dhabi Warned Israel Before Oct. 7 Hamas Attack

A source close to the Emirati leadership stated on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi had indeed warned Israel prior to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, according to Israeli network N12. "There was a warning from the Emirates before October 7. I heard about it seriously in the first few days that followed," said the source, who identified as being close to Emirati leaders. However, the source did not specify the exact intelligence content, how it was transmitted, or its recipient within the Israeli apparatus. It was also not confirmed whether the warning was directly communicated to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed.

The Emirati official also issued a strong criticism of unnamed leaders, stating, "Some leaders are willing to bet on your lives if it allows them to remain in power for an extra half hour." The official further argued that a statement released Tuesday by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs implicitly confirmed the warning, despite not directly addressing it. The ministry stated it does not comment on "press information or speculation regarding conversations between leaders," but emphasized that Israeli and Emirati government bodies maintain direct communication channels and transmit relevant intelligence when necessary.

A second official familiar with Emirati decision-making processes suggested that the carefully chosen wording of the ministry's statement constituted an implicit confirmation. "In the Emirati way that I know, they actually confirmed the facts by publishing this statement. In a statement of this type, no word is chosen at random. Its drafting required several hours of reflection," the official asserted.

These statements follow an investigation by Haaretz alleging that Mohammed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu approximately ten days before the massacre that a major operation planned by Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar risked igniting the region. According to the Haaretz report, the conversation lasted 45 minutes, during which Netanyahu allegedly dismissed the warning as pertaining to the West Bank and assured preparedness, failing to inform security officials. The N12 source's testimony corroborates that a warning was transmitted from the UAE to Israel, but does not confirm a direct conversation between the leaders.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has vehemently denied the Haaretz investigation's findings, announcing legal action for defamation against Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others who relayed the accusations. His office maintains no conversation with Mohammed bin Zayed occurred between September and October 7, 2023, and that checks of phone records, National Security Council archives, and other official logs show no trace of such an exchange or a visit by an Emirati representative with secure communication equipment. The investigation also reported that another warning regarding Sinwar's intentions was received by the Shin Bet in mid-September 2023, but it was misinterpreted as potentially concerning the transfer of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov from Iraq, rather than a large-scale offensive.