UAE Official Denies President Warned Netanyahu of Hamas Attack Before Oct. 7

A senior official in the United Arab Emirates has denied reports that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending Hamas attack prior to October 7. The official, speaking to The National, stated that the UAE discusses security matters with other nations through relevant bodies, not typically at the leader-to-leader level.

This statement contradicts an earlier report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which claimed that bin Zayed had alerted Netanyahu about a large-scale Hamas offensive approximately a week and a half before the attack. Netanyahu has previously denied Haaretz's report.

The article also notes that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and its branch in Tel Aviv are operating normally. This mention appears in the context of broader U.S. advisories issued across the Middle East due to escalating conflict between Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and the Saudi-led coalition. These advisories urged U.S. citizens to exercise increased vigilance, acknowledging potential disruptions to flights and airspace, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and the possibility of rapid escalation.