Netanyahu Meets UAE President Amid Reports of Hamas Attack Warnings

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates for a meeting with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, accompanied by his wife Sara Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman, among other senior officials. The visit, which lasted several hours, was reportedly arranged over several weeks and focused on Iran's nuclear program and regional tensions.

According to an anonymous source speaking to the Associated Press, Netanyahu requested that bin Zayed deny reports claiming he had warned Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack before October 7. Senior Israeli officials told Channel 13 that the meeting's primary agenda was Iran and the broader Middle East security situation. Netanyahu traveled on a private jet rather than the presidential aircraft.

The visit occurred against a backdrop of numerous reports alleging that Netanyahu received warnings about a potential Hamas attack prior to October 7. A New York Times investigation cited five Israeli officials who claimed Netanyahu was warned by bin Zayed but did not relay the information to security chiefs. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal reported that Egypt's then-intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, warned Netanyahu at least three times before the attack, including in early October, but these warnings were allegedly not heeded.

Previous reports, including one in The Atlantic, detailed Kamel's visit to Israel on September 26, 2023, where he allegedly conveyed a stark warning about a large-scale Hamas operation. An Israeli official briefed on the visit stated Kamel's message was that "Gaza is about to explode in your face" if a change in direction did not occur, though specific details and a precise date were not provided.

The Prime Minister's Office has previously denied these reports of prior warnings. The context of these allegations and the visit highlights ongoing scrutiny of Israel's preparedness and intelligence assessments leading up to the October 7th Hamas attacks.