Netanyahu threatens Haaretz lawsuit over alleged UAE warning before Oct 7 attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened legal action against Haaretz over a report alleging that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned him about an imminent Hamas operation shortly before the October 7, 2023 attack, while Abu Dhabi has declined to directly deny that such a warning was conveyed.

According to Haaretz, Netanyahu has ‘instructed his lawyers’ on Wednesday to file a libel lawsuit against Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar and other parties involved in the report. The newspaper had claimed that bin Zayed personally contacted Netanyahu around a week and a half before the Hamas-led assault and warned him that a major attack was being planned.

The UAE foreign ministry, however, did not confirm that such a conversation took place. In a statement, it said it did not comment on “media stories or speculation regarding conversations between government leaders”.

At the same time, the ministry said Emirati and Israeli authorities had maintained open and direct communication channels since the two countries established diplomatic relations more than five years ago. It added that relevant intelligence information had been and continued to be shared between the appropriate authorities when necessary.

Netanyahu rejects report

According to New Arab, Netanyahu’s office has categorically denied that the UAE leader warned him about an impending Hamas attack before October 7.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu said the Prime Minister’s Office, National Security Council and military secretariat had reviewed records from the period and found no evidence of the alleged call.

He also described the unusual security arrangements reportedly used for his conversations with bin Zayed. According to Netanyahu, calls between the two leaders are conducted through a dedicated secure system in which an Emirati representative brings an encrypted device to the prime minister’s office.

Netanyahu said officials had checked his call records as well as records documenting entries into his office and found no indication that an Emirati representative had entered the building at the relevant time.

He argued that such an entry could not take place without being recorded by security authorities.

Haaretz, meanwhile, has stood by its reporting.

New report adds to dispute

The controversy deepened after Yedioth Ahronoth cited a senior Middle Eastern intelligence official as saying that the UAE had indeed passed Israel information about the possibility of a major Hamas operation.

The unnamed official, described as having detailed knowledge of the secretive relationship between Israel and the UAE and their contacts before October 7, said the intelligence originated from a highly reliable source and had been taken seriously by Emirati officials.

According to the official, the warning reached Israel shortly before the attack and indicated that a major operation could take place very soon. However, it did not provide a specific date.

The official declined to say whether the information specifically identified then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar or explain how it was transmitted to Israeli authorities. He also did not confirm that bin Zayed personally spoke to Netanyahu.

Nevertheless, Yedioth said the account supported at least part of the information contained in the Haaretz investigation.

Questions over secret communications

The reports have also drawn attention to the highly confidential way in which Netanyahu and bin Zayed are said to communicate.

According to Yedioth, an Emirati intelligence official brings a dedicated phone with a specially installed application to Netanyahu’s office when a call is arranged. The device is handed to Netanyahu before the representative leaves, and the phone is reportedly destroyed after the conversation.

Kan separately reported similar details, saying an Emirati representative personally delivers a dedicated phone for conversations between the two leaders.

The broadcaster also reported that some senior Israeli officials were unaware of the alleged conversation and only learned about it after the Haaretz investigation was published.

What Haaretz reported

The original Haaretz investigation, citing three senior foreign sources, said bin Zayed called Netanyahu in the final days of September 2023 and warned him that Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel.

The reported conversation allegedly lasted about 45 minutes. According to the newspaper, bin Zayed was concerned that the planned operation could result in significant bloodshed, destabilise the region and undermine the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states.

Netanyahu was reportedly relatively calm during the conversation and believed Hamas was preparing to act in the occupied West Bank rather than Gaza, according to the report.

Haaretz further alleged that Netanyahu did not relay the warning to Israel’s senior security leadership.

The conflicting accounts leave the central question unresolved: whether bin Zayed personally warned Netanyahu about an imminent Hamas attack, and, if so, what action was taken after the information was received.