Netanyahu Sues Media Outlets for $700,000 Over Hamas Attack Warning Claims

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking 2.6 million shekels (approximately $700,000) against several media organizations and journalists. The lawsuit, submitted to the Jerusalem District Court, stems from reports alleging that Netanyahu received warnings about an impending Hamas attack before October 7th but failed to relay them to security officials.

The suit names "Haaretz" newspaper, its journalists Shlomi Eldar, Ruti Yuval, and Uri Misgav, "Yedioth Ahronoth," "ynet," Nadav Eyal, "Channel 12 News," Barak Ravid, and Attila Somfalvi as defendants. Netanyahu asserts in the filing that the publications claiming he received warnings from the UAE and Egypt are false.

Central to the lawsuit are two specific claims that were reported. The first alleges that Netanyahu received a 45-minute warning call from the UAE president about a major Hamas move about a week and a half before October 7th, which he did not pass on to security chiefs. The second claim states that Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel personally warned Netanyahu about a "terrible operation" and an unusual event originating from the Gaza Strip about ten days prior to the attack.

Netanyahu denies both claims, stating that no such conversations or meetings took place with the UAE president or the Egyptian Intelligence Minister during the relevant period. The lawsuit also notes that official records from the Prime Minister's Office do not document these alleged calls.

The Likud party issued a statement supporting the lawsuit, calling the reports "false fabrications" and reiterating that both the UAE and Egypt have denied the claims, labeling them "an absolute lie." The party also linked the timing of these publications to the upcoming elections, suggesting they are being disseminated by political rivals and hostile foreign entities aiming to replace Netanyahu's government with one including Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett.