A Haaretz investigation based on an upcoming book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval says the president of the United Arab Emirates warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu roughly ten days before the October attack that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation.
The report, drawn from research for the book Hostages 843 Days of Abandonment, says Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu for about 45 minutes and relayed intelligence that Sinwar described as an imminent “earthquake” and “a terrifying operation.” Haaretz cites three senior foreign sources familiar with the exchange.
According to the reporting, that warning was not passed on to Israel’s top security officials. Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi told Haaretz they had not been told of the conversation. The newspaper also reported Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel separately warned Netanyahu around the same time about a planned major operation.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a categorical denial, calling the central allegation “an absolute lie” and saying Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question. Eldar pushed back, telling CNN he had documents and records showing the call and the warning took place.
Political Fallout And Calls For Inquiry
The report immediately intensified political pressure on Netanyahu ahead of the election. Four opposition party leaders issued a joint statement demanding “an immediate and thorough investigation” into what they called failures and malfunctioning. They asked what Netanyahu knew, when he knew it, and why he did not act to protect civilians.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said he “knew for a fact the report is true” and called Netanyahu’s alleged disregard “criminal negligence.” Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of leading Israel blindly and pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry if elected. Yair Golan said the report ended the “they-didn’t-wake-me-up” defence and called the actions a conscious abandonment.
The revelations come amid continuing demands from bereaved families and survivors for an independent commission into the security failures that allowed the attack. Since the attack, Israel’s defence minister and several top security chiefs have left office, a fact opponents cite as part of the broader accountability push. The UAE foreign ministry declined to comment on media reports about leader conversations but said relevant intelligence is shared when necessary.
