Trump Doubts Reports Netanyahu Was Warned Before Oct. 7 Hamas Attack

Former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed strong skepticism regarding recent reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received warnings from the UAE and Egypt prior to the October 7th Hamas attacks. "I don't believe those reports," Trump stated definitively in an interview with TIME magazine, referencing claims that emerged following Netanyahu's secret visit to the UAE. The original report, published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, alleged that the UAE president had warned Netanyahu about a potential Hamas attack before October 7th.

Trump also addressed the upcoming Israeli elections and potential cooperation with Israeli political figures, maintaining a neutral stance. When asked about the possibility of future collaboration with Gabi Ashkenazi, former IDF Chief of Staff and War Cabinet member, Trump responded, "I haven't heard bad things about him," a comment seen as relatively positive given Trump's critical nature towards those he doesn't trust.

Following the Haaretz report, Netanyahu announced his intention to sue the newspaper, its reporter Shlomi Eldar, and others involved for defamation. Netanyahu's office issued a statement calling the report "lies made by Haaretz" and asserted that an internal review found no record of any conversation between him and the UAE president between early September and October 7th. The Prime Minister's office stated that policy discussions with the UAE president are conducted via a special encrypted device brought by an Emirati representative, and these conversations are documented. They also claimed no such Emirati representative entered Netanyahu's office during the period in question, and security protocols would have recorded any entry.

Netanyahu's office also refuted claims attributed to Eldar that Egypt had warned him of a potential attack, stating this had already been disproven earlier in the war. The Prime Minister's office characterized the publication as a "malicious fabrication with clear political timing," part of a "left-wing election campaign."

In a separate context, Netanyahu previously blamed former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, stating they saw warning signs hours before the attack but did not update him in time. He argued that if the IDF, Shin Bet, and emergency response teams had been alerted, "the terrible massacre could have been prevented."