Ex-Mossad Official Denies UAE Warning to Netanyahu Before Oct. 7

A former senior official from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency has stated he has no recollection of any warning from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding Hamas's intentions prior to the October 7th attacks. Ilan Ziv Cohen, who headed the Mossad's Intelligence Directorate in September-October 2023, told Army Radio on Monday that he does not recall any specific intelligence about a warning from UAE officials, nor a visit from Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel during that period. Cohen emphasized that if Kamel had visited without going through the Intelligence Directorate, it would have been highly unusual, though theoretically possible. He added that in numerous meetings with Kamel and his staff since October 7th, the issue of a prior UAE warning was never raised, even in informal discussions.

This statement comes amid conflicting reports about whether the UAE had warned Israel about an impending attack. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly traveled secretly to the UAE for a meeting with its leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The unscheduled meeting, which lasted about four hours, was conducted under heavy secrecy. Such meetings are typically rare, especially during election periods, as leaders often avoid appearing to interfere in other countries' internal politics. The backdrop of conflicting claims about a pre-attack warning also casts a shadow over the leaders' meeting.