Netanyahu was warned of October 7 Hamas attack by UAE: report

A report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz has raised fresh questions over what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew before Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, saying that he was personally warned by United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about 10 days before the assault.

According to the report, Bin Zayed told Netanyahu during a 45-minute phone call that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel.

Netanyahu reportedly responded calmly, saying he believed Hamas was preparing an operation in the West Bank and assuring the UAE leader that Israel was prepared for any scenario.

The report further said that Netanyahu did not pass the warning to Israel’s senior security leadership.

“Why did he not inform the security establishment, and why did he not act to protect Israeli citizens?” several Israeli opposition leaders said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

The revelations come at a politically sensitive time in Israel, with parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27 and Netanyahu facing renewed scrutiny over his handling of warnings before the attack.

The report said the warning ultimately originated with Sinwar, who had allegedly told a Palestinian intermediary that he was preparing an “earthquake” and a “terrifying operation”.

According to the report, Hamas offered through Qatari mediators to release civilian hostages, with one account saying the group was prepared to release “all civilians without anything in return”. The proposal was reportedly conveyed to Israeli officials, although accounts differ over the conditions attached to any such release.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office rejected the report, calling it an “absolute lie”. It also denied that Netanyahu spoke with the UAE president during the period in question or received such a warning.

The allegations have nevertheless renewed scrutiny of the Israeli government’s handling of intelligence warnings ahead of October 7, with opposition figures calling for a formal investigation into what Netanyahu knew and what action, if any, was taken.