Netanyahu Warned of Hamas Attack, Ignored Security Advice: Report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly warned by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about an impending Hamas attack on October 7, but allegedly failed to disclose this warning to Israeli security chiefs, according to five Israeli officials cited by The New York Times. The officials claim Netanyahu received the warning several days before the attack, on October 1, 2023, but did not mention it during a security assessment meeting. Instead, he reportedly stated the objective was to maintain quiet in Gaza and rejected recommendations from security officials to consider strikes against Hamas leaders.

According to the sources, Netanyahu explained that any Israeli action in Gaza could jeopardize Saudi Arabia's potential normalization of relations with Israel. The Prime Minister's office has denied the report. Some sources also suggested the information received by the UAE president was not specific, leaving ambiguity about whether Hamas intended to launch rockets or conduct a ground invasion.

Despite denials from both Netanyahu and the UAE, Sheikh bin Zayed reportedly referenced his call with Netanyahu to then-CIA Director William Burns months after the October 7th attack, stating Hamas was planning a major operation in the West Bank or Gaza. The warning call was allegedly not mentioned in any internal IDF or intelligence agency investigations into the security failures preceding the attack.

Separately, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reportedly stated in private conversations that he was directly informed by bin Zayed about the warning to Netanyahu and was asked not to discuss it. Bennett's office has denied this report, calling it false and refusing to comment on his conversations with leaders.