A new investigative report has raised explosive questions over what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about Hamas’ plans in the days leading up to the October 7, 2023, attack, claiming that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed warned him about a major planned operation shortly before the assault.
According to a report by Israel’s Haaretz, cited in a forthcoming book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, bin Zayed spoke directly with Netanyahu approximately 10 days before the attack. During the reported conversation, the UAE leader allegedly warned that Hamas was preparing a significant military operation under the direction of its then-Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar.
The claim has generated renewed scrutiny of Israel’s security failures surrounding the October 7 attack, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken to Gaza, according to figures cited by the Associated Press.
What the UAE Warning Allegedly Said
The report says bin Zayed expressed concern that a large-scale Hamas operation could cause extensive bloodshed, destabilise the wider region and potentially damage the Abraham Accords, the agreements that normalised relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
The reported conversation allegedly lasted about 45 minutes. According to Haaretz and The Times of Israel, bin Zayed was surprised by Netanyahu’s response, which was described as relatively calm. Netanyahu reportedly told the UAE president that Israel was prepared for possible developments and suggested that any major Hamas action was more likely to emerge from the West Bank rather than Gaza.
The report further claims that the warning was not subsequently passed on to Israel’s senior security leadership, raising questions about how information from a high-level regional leader was handled before the attack.
Alleged Link to Yahya Sinwar
The report says the information reaching bin Zayed was connected to Sinwar, who was allegedly frustrated by stalled negotiations involving Israel and Hamas.
At the time, indirect contacts were reportedly taking place over issues including conditions in Gaza, easing restrictions and arrangements concerning prisoners and Israeli captives held by Hamas. The negotiations had involved intermediaries rather than direct official talks between Israel and Hamas.
According to the reported account, Sinwar had conveyed increasingly threatening messages as negotiations failed to produce progress. The UAE leadership allegedly became aware of the possibility that Hamas was preparing a major escalation.
The report therefore places the alleged warning within a broader period of diplomatic uncertainty, in which Israel and Hamas were engaged in indirect discussions while Hamas was simultaneously preparing for its unprecedented assault.
Netanyahu’s Office Denies the Claim
Netanyahu’s office has strongly rejected the report. According to the Associated Press, the prime minister’s office described the account as an “absolute lie” and said Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question and did not receive a warning from him. The UAE Foreign Ministry had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
The denial means that the central claim remains disputed. The allegations are based on reporting connected to the forthcoming book and interviews with numerous sources, rather than an officially released record of the alleged conversation.
The controversy comes as Netanyahu continues to face intense political criticism over the failures surrounding October 7.
October 7 Failure Under Renewed Scrutiny
The October 7 attack exposed major gaps in Israel’s intelligence and security preparedness. Hamas-led fighters crossed the Gaza border in a multi-front assault, attacking Israeli communities and military positions and taking hundreds of people hostage.
The scale of the attack triggered an Israeli military campaign in Gaza and a conflict that subsequently spread beyond the Israel-Gaza battlefield, contributing to wider regional instability. The devastating consequences have also intensified international pressure over the conduct of the war.
Israel’s handling of intelligence warnings before the attack has remained a central political issue. Questions have previously been raised about warnings from Israeli intelligence personnel and other sources, making the latest allegation particularly significant if independently substantiated.
Political Pressure on Netanyahu Intensifies
The new report is likely to add further pressure on Netanyahu, whose leadership during the period preceding October 7 has already become a major subject of political debate.
Former Israeli military officials and political opponents have accused the prime minister of failing to respond adequately to warnings before the attack. Gadi Eisenkot, a former senior general and political rival, accused Netanyahu of ignoring warnings, while former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Netanyahu bore direct responsibility for the security failure.
The latest allegation does not, by itself, establish that the October 7 attack could have been prevented. However, if the reported UAE warning is independently confirmed, it could become an important part of the continuing debate over whether senior Israeli decision-makers received critical information and how they acted upon it.
For Netanyahu, the controversy arrives at a politically sensitive moment, with Israel preparing for elections and October 7 remaining one of the most consequential issues confronting the country’s leadership. The competing accounts over whether the warning was ever delivered are therefore likely to remain under intense scrutiny.
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