Netanyahu Asked UAE President to Deny Hamas Attack Warning Reports

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to ask UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed to publicly deny reports that he had warned Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack before October 7. Two sources familiar with the visit confirmed to The Associated Press that the meeting lasted an hour and focused on a Haaretz newspaper report detailing bin Zayed's alleged warning and Netanyahu's subsequent request for a denial.

The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the reports but stated that "open and direct lines of communication remain with Israel," including the exchange of "all relevant intelligence information." Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Separately, former Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel reportedly contacted Netanyahu in early October 2023 with a warning about an imminent attack from Gaza, according to Egyptian official sources cited by The Wall Street Journal. This call allegedly followed Israel's failure to respond to two prior Egyptian warnings about indicators of an impending attack.

The Atlantic previously reported that Kamel arrived in Israel on a private plane 11 days before the October 7 Hamas attack, carrying a warning that Hamas was preparing a major assault. The report, citing Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, American, and European sources, stated Kamel landed at Ben Gurion Airport on September 26, 2023, for a one-hour stay. While the specific Israeli officials he met are unclear, he conveyed that an attack could be prevented and advised Israel to offer economic incentives to Hamas. He also warned that Gaza would "explode in your face" if Israel did not change its policy.

Israel Hayom had previously reported on the Egyptian plane's landing, though the identity of the Egyptian official was not clear. Following this, Netanyahu participated in security discussions and approved several economic concessions for Gaza. An Israeli official told the paper that Kamel's visit itself signaled the urgency of the matter, stating, "The envoy himself was the message." The New York Times also reported this week, citing two sources, that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu of a Hamas attack prior to October 7, a claim Netanyahu denied following the Haaretz report. However, the Times cited minutes from an early October 2023 meeting where Netanyahu told security officials that any Israeli military operation in Gaza would jeopardize potential Saudi-Israeli diplomatic relations, which he believed were close.