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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking 2.6 million shekels (approximately $700,000) against several Israeli media organizations and journalists. The lawsuit, filed on September 29 in the Jerusalem District Court, stems from publications alleging that Netanyahu received personal warnings about an impending Hamas attack prior to October 7.

The defendants include Haaretz newspaper and journalists Shlomi Eldar, Ruti Yuval, and Uri Misgav; the Yedioth Ahronoth group and journalist Nadav Eyal; Channel 12 and journalist Barak Ravid; as well as Attila Somfalvi. The lawsuit specifically targets two reports.

One report in Haaretz claimed that approximately two weeks before the attack, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed contacted Netanyahu to warn him about a major Hamas operation led by Yahya Sinwar. Another report stated that the then-head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, personally alerted Netanyahu to unusual activity from the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu vehemently denies both claims. His lawsuit asserts that no such phone calls or meetings with bin Zayed or Kamel occurred between early September 2023 and October 7. His office claims official call logs and entry records show no evidence of these contacts. The Prime Minister's office stated that diplomatic calls with the UAE president are conducted via a secure line through an Emirati representative who visits the Prime Minister's office with a special encrypted device, and no such visit was recorded.

This is not Netanyahu's first legal action regarding these alleged warnings. Earlier in September, he announced his intention to sue Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar. The media outlets involved maintain they stand by their reporting and are prepared to defend it in court. Netanyahu argues the reports are false, damaging to his reputation, and potentially influenced the election campaign period in which they were published.