Fatah Official Admits Warning Hamas Leader Sinwar Planned Oct. 7 Attack

A Fatah official and former Palestinian Authority minister, Dr. Sufian Abu Zaida, revealed in a video on September 17 that he was the source, known by the pseudonym "Coal Eyes," who conveyed a warning in mid-September about Yahya Sinwar's plans for an attack on Israel. Abu Zaida stated he would provide further details soon about the message received from Sinwar and his own mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas before and during the war.

The revelation stems from a book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, who reported that Abu Zaida, whose name was withheld for security reasons, received a message from Sinwar during negotiations concerning the return of the bodies of soldiers Adar Goldin and Oron Shaul, as well as two captives, Hisham al-Sayed and Avraham Mengistu.

According to the book, when negotiations stalled in early September, Sinwar disappeared from Shin Bet surveillance. He then summoned Abu Zaida and instructed him to tell the Israelis he was preparing a "big surprise" if they did not make progress, using the word "zilzal," meaning earthquake. This message caused alarm for Abu Zaida, who relayed Sinwar's words to an acquaintance who now advises UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed.

The UAE President then reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for 45 minutes to ensure the message was received. During this conversation, Netanyahu allegedly reassured bin Zayed, stating, "We are ready in Gaza," and suggested any issues would arise in Judea and Samaria, not Gaza. The investigation claims Netanyahu did not inform the IDF Chief of Staff, Shin Bet head, or Mossad director of this conversation.

Eldar stated that security officials believe knowing about this conversation would have provided additional confirmation of intelligence received on September 15, potentially altering their assessment of the situation. He asserted that their reporting is backed by documentation and cross-verification.

Further details from the investigation indicate that on October 1, 2023, during a meeting about Gaza border disturbances, the Shin Bet head again recommended eliminating senior Hamas figures, including Sinwar. Netanyahu's response was to ask for plans to be prepared for his review, which a senior security official described as his method of delaying decisions. Another participant noted Netanyahu instructed them to "continue working on possibilities, but for now calm the situation," without mentioning the warnings he had received.

A senior Shin Bet official suggested that awareness of these warnings might have lent more weight to the initial intelligence from Sinwar and clarified his motives for halting negotiations, potentially leading to a different strategic conclusion. Netanyahu has denied the publication and filed a lawsuit against the newspaper Haaretz for reporting on the matter.