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Netanyahu Denies UAE Warning Before Gaza Attack
Confirmed
In Short: Israeli PM faces political fallout after Haaretz reported he received a warning from UAE President about Hamas plans.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a political storm after Haaretz reported that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned him about Hamas’s plans before the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The report, which has sparked controversy, claims that bin Zayed called Netanyahu from Abu Dhabi and warned him of an impending Hamas offensive. However, Netanyahu’s office denies any such warning and says no pre-October 7 call occurred.
In the wake of the attack, which killed some 1,200 people and took another 251 hostage, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the warning dispute is playing out against the backdrop of Israel’s war in Gaza. The conflict has resulted in more than 73,650 Palestinian casualties, according to the same source. With the Israeli election campaign intensifying, four opposition leaders demanded a state commission of inquiry, accusing Netanyahu of receiving a warning but not passing it on to Israel’s defense establishment.
Netanyahu has responded by threatening to sue Haaretz for defamation. The UAE President’s office has not commented on the reports. Meanwhile, Realnews Magazine reported that bin Zayed called Netanyahu from the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi around a week and a half before the Oct. 7 attacks, warning him that Hamas was planning a large-scale attack. The report cited an unidentified Emirati source who said bin Zayed had called Netanyahu just days before the Hamas attacks and warned him that the militant group was planning an assault on Israel.
The controversy adds to the political tension surrounding the upcoming election, with polls suggesting that neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor his opponents are currently assured of a majority. As the situation in Gaza continues to escalate, the warning dispute remains a central issue in Israeli politics.
What's still developing
- With Netanyahu’s actions around Oct. 7 framed as a key election issue, AP reported that Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of ignoring dozens of warnings ahead of the attack, writing, "He is unfit," while Naftali Bennett said, "Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility" for the deaths of thousands of Israelis on his watch. tap a side to read it in full AP News states Netanyahu was directly warned, while Netanyahu's office insists it never happened; the two sides are treated with unequal certainty.
- Earlier, the Haaretz newspaper reported that Netanyahu had failed to inform Israel’s security chiefs or take action even after receiving a personal warning from the Emirati president.
- Bin Zayed also expressed concern that such an attack would not only lead to bloodshed but also destabilise the wider region and undermine the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and several Arab states, the report said.