Fatah Official Admits Warning Israel of Hamas Attack Before October 7

Sufian Abu Zaida, a Fatah official and former Palestinian Authority minister for prisoner affairs, revealed in a video posted on September 17 that he was the source, known by the pseudonym "Coal Eyes," who conveyed a warning to Israel in mid-September 2023 about Yahya Sinwar's plans for an attack. Abu Zaida stated he would provide further details 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 received a message from Sinwar concerning negotiations for the return of the bodies of soldiers Hadar 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 and then told Abu Zaida to inform the Israelis that he was preparing a "big surprise" if talks did not progress, using the word "zilzal" (earthquake).

Abu Zaida reportedly conveyed Sinwar's message to an acquaintance who is an advisor to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The UAE president then personally spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for 45 minutes to ensure the message was received. During this conversation, Netanyahu allegedly reassured the UAE leader, stating, "We are ready in Gaza," and suggested any issues would arise in the West Bank, not Gaza.

According to the investigation, Netanyahu did not inform the IDF Chief of Staff, the Shin Bet head, or the Mossad director about this conversation. Security officials expressed that knowing about this exchange would have provided additional confirmation to intelligence received on September 15. Eldar asserted that their publication is well-documented and cross-verified.

The report also noted that on October 1, 2023, the Shin Bet head recommended eliminating senior Hamas figures, including Sinwar. Netanyahu's response was to ask for plans to be prepared for his review, which officials interpreted as a way to delay a decision rather than a direct refusal. A senior security official stated that if they had known about the warnings, it might have given more weight to earlier intelligence and led to a different assessment of the situation.

Netanyahu has denied the publication and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the newspaper Haaretz for its reporting.