UAE Warned Netanyahu of Hamas Attack Plans Before October 7, Report Claims

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) provided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a confidential warning about Hamas's plans for a large-scale attack shortly before the events of October 7, 2023, according to a report by The New York Times citing informed sources. The UAE's president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, reportedly called Netanyahu in late September 2023 to convey the impending threat, though specific details of the potential attack were not disclosed. Sheikh Mohamed later confirmed this conversation to then-CIA Director William Burns.

Despite the warning, documents from internal meetings suggest the information from the UAE did not reach the heads of Israeli security agencies. During a meeting on October 1, 2023, Netanyahu discussed the situation in Gaza but did not mention the received intelligence. Instead, he emphasized maintaining calm in the region and controlling the situation, reportedly fearing disruption to potential diplomatic agreements with Saudi Arabia.

The question of responsibility for the security failures preceding the October 7 attack remains a central issue in Israel's current political agenda ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. Opposition figures and critics of the prime minister argue that such revelations underscore the need for a state commission to investigate the circumstances of the tragedy. Netanyahu himself has attributed the lapses to military and intelligence officials who, for a long time, believed Hamas was incapable of large-scale combat operations.