Netanyahu Denies UAE Warning Before October 7 Attack

Israel’s upcoming legislative election has reignited controversy over the country’s failure to prevent the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were kidnapped. The debate intensified after Haaretz reported that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone days before the attack that Hamas was planning a major assault. According to the report, Netanyahu did not relay the warning to Israeli security officials. Haaretz said it stood by its reporting, but CBS News had not independently verified it. Netanyahu’s office categorically denied that such a call occurred, describing the report as a politically motivated libel and saying that his attorneys would pursue a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz and its reporter. His office said there was no record of a call or Emirati visit to Netanyahu’s office between early September and October 7, 2023. The UAE confirmed that it maintains direct communications with Israel but did not confirm or deny the reported warning. The report has become a political issue ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, which has no clear front-runner. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu’s rival, said he believed the report and called any failure to act on the warning criminal negligence. The controversy adds to existing questions about Netanyahu’s response on October 7. He has argued that security officials failed to alert him in time and that responsibility rests with the heads of Israel’s security agencies. However, Israeli broadcaster Kan News reported that three hours passed between Netanyahu’s being awakened at 6:27 a.m. and his first request to speak with the military’s top general. Netanyahu’s office broadly confirmed the timeline while noting that he spoke with the defense minister at about 8 a.m. Netanyahu has rejected demands for a formal state inquiry, while his political opponents have pledged to establish one if they win. The dispute reflects continuing efforts to assign responsibility for the attack and Israel’s broader security failure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied a report by Haaretz claiming that United Arab Emirates President Mohammad bin Zayed warned Netanyahu about a planned Hamas attack 10 days before October 7, 2023. According to Haaretz, based on an excerpt from a book written by two of its journalists, bin Zayed told Netanyahu that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel and cautioned that it could destabilize the region and damage the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu’s office said no such warning was given. The UAE Foreign Ministry did not directly confirm the report, but stated that relevant intelligence is communicated between appropriate authorities when necessary. The report said Netanyahu responded calmly and believed Israel was prepared for any scenario. He reportedly considered an attack from the West Bank more likely than one originating from Gaza. The Times of Israel separately cited an Emirati source who also said bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu. The allegations follow a previous report that Egyptian intelligence officials had warned Israel shortly before October 7 that “something big is going to happen.” The claims have intensified political criticism of Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections. Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot accused him of blindly leading Israel into the disaster, while former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Netanyahu bore personal and direct responsibility for the failures that caused thousands of Israeli deaths. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, said Netanyahu knew, ignored the danger and was to blame. Netanyahu has rejected calls for an official state commission of inquiry. The October 7 Hamas attack killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and led to the taking of 251 hostages. Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza. Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 73,650 Palestinians have been killed, while a UN commission has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to file a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar and others over a report alleging that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned him about an impending Hamas attack before Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu rejected the allegation as a “malicious fabrication.” Netanyahu said reviews conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council and the military secretariat found no record of a conversation between him and bin Zayed from early September through Oct. 7, 2023. He also cited Israeli entry records, saying they showed that no Emirati representative had visited Israel to facilitate such a call. Haaretz reported, citing unnamed senior foreign sources, that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu approximately 10 days before Hamas’s invasion of southern Israel that the group was preparing a major attack capable of destabilizing the region. According to the report, Netanyahu responded relatively calmly. The allegation has contributed to a political uproar ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 general election. Netanyahu argued that the report was designed to divert attention from what he described as failures by former Israel Security Agency chief Ronen Bar and former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. He accused them of failing to respond appropriately to warning signs or alert him in time. Netanyahu’s office denied the report immediately after its publication. The UAE Foreign Ministry did not confirm or deny that the conversation occurred, saying it does not comment on media reports or speculation about discussions between government leaders. The ministry emphasized that UAE-Israeli channels have remained open and that the UAE’s post-Oct. 7 efforts focused on de-escalation, regional stability, preventing violence and sharing relevant intelligence through official channels.

The article reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to sue Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others over a report alleging that United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed warned him about an impending Hamas attack 10 days before October 7, 2023. According to Haaretz’s account, which was based on Eldar and Ruth Yuva’s book “Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment,” bin Zayed allegedly told Netanyahu that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation intended to destabilize the region. The report further claimed that Netanyahu dismissed the warning and believed any potential Hamas attack would originate from the occupied West Bank rather than Gaza. Netanyahu’s office called the report fabricated and described it as a politically motivated libel published during the period leading up to Israel’s general elections. Netanyahu also accused Haaretz of relying on a Palestinian official and alleged that Eldar had received funding from a left-wing nonprofit linked to political rival Yair Golan. Haaretz said it stood by its reporting. The Times of Israel cited an Emirati source who confirmed that a call between bin Zayed and Netanyahu took place, while the UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on reports or speculation about conversations between government leaders. The article places the dispute in the broader context of the October 7 attack, when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 others, triggering the ongoing Middle East war. Netanyahu has faced criticism over the security failures preceding the attack and remains the only top Israeli official who has not resigned or left office. Despite calls for an expansive investigation, he has rejected a formal government inquiry.