UAE Warned Netanyahu 10 Days Before Oct 7 Hamas Attack: Report

A new Haaretz investigation claims UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed personally warned Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu about 10 days before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, during a 45-minute phone call, that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation. According to journalists Shlomo Eldar and Ruth Yuval’s new book, “Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment,” Netanyahu reacted calmly, assuring bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario, but reportedly never briefed Israel’s top security chiefs on the warning. Then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former military chief Herzi Halevi both told Haaretz they had no knowledge of the alleged warning.
The report also cites earlier warnings from Egyptian intelligence and a message reportedly relayed from Sinwar himself referencing a “big surprise.” Netanyahu’s office called the claims “complete lies,” denying any such call took place, while the UAE declined to directly confirm or deny it. The revelation has drawn fierce opposition criticism, with former PM Naftali Bennett and election rival Gadi Eisenkot accusing Netanyahu of ignoring multiple warnings before the attack. The October 7 assault killed roughly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages; the ensuing Israeli offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry.