Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under intense political pressure after a Haaretz investigation said the president of the United Arab Emirates warned him days before the October 7 attack that Hamas was preparing a major operation.
The report, drawn from an upcoming book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu about 10 days before October 7. The UAE leader reportedly told the prime minister that Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar was planning what he described through intermediaries as a "terrifying operation" and "the mother of all surprises."
Haaretz said the warning reached the UAE via a Palestinian intermediary trusted by both Hamas and Israeli security officials. The newspaper reported that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi told Haaretz they were not informed of the UAE call. The paper added that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel placed a similar warning around the same period.
The Prime Minister's Office dismissed the report as "an absolute lie" and said Netanyahu did not speak with the president of the United Arab Emirates during the period in question. Haaretz reporter Shlomi Eldar told CNN he had documents and records showing the call took place and that intelligence was passed to Netanyahu.
Reactions Consequences And Political Fallout
The Haaretz account set off swift political fallout ahead of Israel's election campaign. Opposition leaders called for a full investigation into what the prime minister knew and when he knew it. A rare joint statement from four opposition figures demanded "an immediate and thorough investigation" into Netanyahu's handling of pre‑attack warnings.
Former prime ministers and senior security figures reacted sharply. Naftali Bennett said the report was true and described any alleged disregard of warnings as criminal negligence. Gadi Eisenkot said the article added to evidence Netanyahu ignored multiple warnings and pledged to seek a state commission of inquiry if elected.
The UAE did not explicitly confirm the call, telling reporters it does not comment on media reports of leader conversations, while saying that relevant intelligence is and has been shared among appropriate entities. The Haaretz investigation noted Netanyahu did not relay the alleged UAE warning to top security officials at later briefings, a detail critics say could have affected threat assessments.
The report also revived debate over responsibility for the October 7 massacre, in which the attack killed more than 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of more than 250 people into Gaza, figures cited in media accounts of the period. The revelations keened attention on whether intelligence sharing and internal decisions before the attack were adequate.
