UAE President Warned Netanyahu of Hamas Attack Days Before October 7, Report Reveals

An investigative report published on Tuesday reveals that the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed, delivered an explicit warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding an impending Hamas attack just days before October 7, 2023. According to the investigation, Netanyahu refrained from sharing this critical intelligence with the IDF or the Shin Bet.

The details, published in Haaretz and featured in a new book titled Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, disclose that in late September 2023, approximately ten days before the war erupted, Mohamed bin Zayed held an unusual 45-minute telephone conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu.

During this call, the UAE President warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major event and advised Israel to prepare. The warning followed a message sent by Yahya Sinwar to a mediator, stating that he was preparing an "earthquake."

Ignored Warnings and Lack of Sharing

Despite the explicit warning, Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly reacted with indifference, assessing that Hamas was planning an escalation in the West Bank rather than Gaza. The Prime Minister did not update the Minister of Defense, the IDF Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, or the head of the Mossad about the content of the conversation.

Concurrently, Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel conveyed a similar warning to the Prime Minister's Office. He was reportedly told in response that Israel was in control of the situation in Gaza and was focusing its forces on the West Bank.

Early Rejection of Hostage Deals

The investigation also exposes the government's conduct regarding the hostages during the initial days of the war. On the evening of October 7, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani contacted Mossad Director David Barnea, stating that Hamas was prepared to release all civilian hostages in exchange for an agreement on mediation. Barnea rejected the offer, clarifying that Israel refused to negotiate with Hamas at that time.

Security officials who sought to advance rapid hostage release deals were rebuffed by the political echelon. During a meeting in those early days, Netanyahu's diplomatic advisor, Ophir Falk, made it clear that Israel would not conduct negotiations, instructing professional staff to "change their mindset" and realize that Hamas would receive nothing.

Official Responses

The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement strongly denying the report:

"A complete lie! Prime Minister Netanyahu did not speak with the President of the United Arab Emirates during the period in question and received no warning from him."

Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and former Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar confirmed that they were never updated about any such warning.