Netanyahu Denies Receiving UAE Warning Before Oct. 7 Attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not relay a warning from the UAE president about an impending Hamas attack to Israeli security chiefs, according to a New York Times report. The alleged conversation occurred on October 1, preceding the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel. The report states that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of a significant move planned by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but Netanyahu did not share this information with top security officials.

Furthermore, the report indicates that bin Zayed later informed then-CIA Director William Burns that he had warned Netanyahu of an imminent threat of violence from Hamas in the West Bank or Gaza. Netanyahu's office has vehemently denied the report, with his advisor Topaz Lok stating in an interview with Kan radio that "such a call did not happen, and no such warning was received."

The New York Times also reported that Netanyahu refrained from launching a preemptive strike on Gaza prior to the attack in an effort to maintain calm.