UAE Declines to Confirm or Deny Report of Warning to Netanyahu

An official Emirati source responded to an Israeli report claiming that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending Hamas attack prior to the October 7th "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation. The source told The National newspaper that the UAE "discusses security matters with other countries through the relevant authorities, and does not discuss such details at the level of national leaders." The source suggested the issue had become politicized ahead of Israeli elections.

Israel had reportedly pressured Abu Dhabi to deny the report, which was initially published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on September 8th. However, the Emirati official source did not explicitly deny the conversation between bin Zayed and Netanyahu or label the Haaretz report as false. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government does not comment on media reports or speculation about talks, emphasizing that UAE efforts since October 7th have focused on de-escalation and regional stability.

The Haaretz report, based on a book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval, alleged that bin Zayed called Netanyahu after receiving intelligence that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a "earthquake"-like attack. During the reported 45-minute call, Netanyahu allegedly downplayed the threat, stating Israel was prepared and that any attack would be in the West Bank. The report also claimed Netanyahu did not brief the IDF chief of staff, Shin Bet chief, or Mossad chief on this conversation.

Speculation in Israel suggested that former Fatah official and UAE presidential advisor Mohamed Dahlan may have relayed the information to bin Zayed. Dahlan has not commented on the report. The original Haaretz report also detailed how former Fatah official Sufian Abu Zaida allegedly received a message from Sinwar, warning of a "surprise" if prisoner exchange talks stalled. Abu Zaida reportedly conveyed this warning to the Shin Bet on September 15th, leading to security discussions in Israel that ultimately underestimated the nature of the planned attack.