Netanyahu under fire over report UAE warned him of Hamas attack before October 7

Sep 8, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces intense political backlash following reports that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned him of a major Hamas operation ten days before the October 7, 2023 attack. Netanyahu allegedly dismissed the warning and failed to brief Israeli security chiefs. While Netanyahu's office calls the report an absolute lie, opposition leaders declare him unfit for office as the October 27 national election campaign intensifies.

UAE warning before October 7

▪Benjamin Netanyahu responded calmly to the warning from Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, stating that he believed Hamas was preparing to act in the West Bank and that Israel was prepared.
▪United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for 45 minutes in late September 2023, warning him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation.
▪United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Benjamin Netanyahu that a Hamas attack would lead to bloodshed, destabilize the region, and undermine the Abraham Accords.

Netanyahu failed to brief officials

▪A senior Shin Bet official stated that knowledge of the United Arab Emirates' warning could have altered how the agency interpreted intelligence and Hamas's withdrawal from de-escalation talks.
▪Benjamin Netanyahu did not brief Israel's top security chiefs, including the heads of Shin Bet, Mossad, and the Israel Defense Forces, about the warning from Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Intelligence failures preceding attack

▪Egypt's intelligence chief, General Abbas Kamel, separately warned Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 about a terrifying operation that Hamas was preparing.
▪Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar warned a Fatah official that militants were preparing a terrifying operation described as an "earthquake," which was then relayed to an Emirati advisor.

Opposition demands investigation

▪Israeli opposition parties have pledged that establishing an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 7 security lapses would be their first priority if elected.
▪Israeli opposition leaders Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman issued a joint statement demanding to know what Benjamin Netanyahu knew and why he did not update security chiefs.

Netanyahu denies Haaretz report

▪The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry declined to comment on the media reports, stating that the government does not comment on media stories or speculation.
▪Benjamin Netanyahu's office called the Haaretz report "an absolute lie" and denied that the Prime Minister spoke to or received any warning from the United Arab Emirates president during that period.

Upcoming Israeli election campaign

▪The revelations regarding the pre-October 7 warning emerged from a new book titled "Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment" by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval.
▪The controversy over the October 7 warning has intensified the Israeli legislative election campaign ahead of the national vote scheduled for October 27.

Debatable claims

▪Benjamin Netanyahu bears direct personal responsibility for the October 7 security failures
▪Israel should establish an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 7 security lapses