Netanyahu Warned of Hamas Attack, Rejected 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 dismissed security recommendations to strike Hamas leaders, according to five Israeli officials speaking to The New York Times. The officials stated that Netanyahu received the warning from bin Zayed several days before the attack, on October 1, 2023, but did not mention it during a security briefing with top defense officials. Instead, Netanyahu reportedly told them his goal was to maintain quiet in Gaza and rejected proposals to target Hamas commanders, citing concerns that any Israeli action could jeopardize potential normalization with Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu's office has denied the report. Some sources suggest the information provided 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, bin Zayed later mentioned his call with Netanyahu to then-CIA Director William Burns, claiming Hamas was planning a major operation in the West Bank or Gaza.

Furthermore, the officials told The New York Times that the warning call was not included in any subsequent internal IDF or intelligence agency investigations into the security failures preceding the October 7th attack. Separately, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reportedly claimed in private conversations to have been directly informed by bin Zayed about the warning to Netanyahu and was asked not to discuss it. Bennett has denied this report, calling it false and refusing to comment on his conversations with leaders.