UAE leader warned Netanyahu of Hamas attack days before Oct 7, PM dismissed warning: Report
Days before Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reportedly delivered prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a direct warning that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major attack. Netanyahu, however, did not share the warning with Israel’s senior security leadership, according to a new investigation report.
According to Israeli publication Haaretz, which based its report on the new book, ‘Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment’, MBZ spoke to Netanyahu for 45 minutes from Abu Dhabi, around 10 days before Hamas launched its October 7 attack.
Haaretz said the three senior foreign officials were updated on the contents of the 45-minute phone call at the end of September. The account, additionally, draws on interviews with senior Israeli officials, recordings, internal documents and correspondence.
A close adviser to bin Zayed, who was aware of the conversation, told Haaretz that the Emirati president had sought to convey the seriousness of the threat.
“The emir explained that, in his assessment, Sinwar was preparing for a major event,” the adviser said. “He told Netanyahu that Israel should be ready.”
Bin Zayed also urged Netanyahu to address the wider sources of instability, including the economic situation in Gaza and rising tensions in the West Bank.
According to the adviser, MBZ was surprised by Netanyahu’s response, as he did not appear alarmed. He told bin Zayed that he believed Hamas was preparing to act in the West Bank and assured him that Israel was ready to respond to any scenario.
The Emirati leader later discussed the warning with CIA director William J Burns, according to Haaretz. Bin Zayed reportedly described his concern that ‘something there is about to explode’ and said Netanyahu had focused instead on the West Bank.
The information reaching bin Zayed had reportedly originated with Yahya Sinwar. Haaretz said a Fatah figure involved in contacts over a prisoner deal had received repeated warnings from the Hamas leader after negotiations stalled.
“Tell the Israelis if they don’t advance, I’m preparing a huge surprise for them,” Sinwar reportedly said in one exchange. “Tell them to expect an earthquake.”
In another conversation, he described his plans as “a formidable operation”, according to the report. The Fatah interlocutor subsequently passed the information to a person connected to bin Zayed.
"The emir hoped that despite his reserved response, Netanyahu would take the message seriously and take action," the adviser says. Instead, Netanyahu chose not to brief the heads of his defense establishment. Israel’s top security chiefs, including the Shin Bet and Mossad heads and the IDF chief of staff, were not informed.
Haaretz also reported that Egypt’s intelligence chief, gen. Abbas Kamel, separately warned Netanyahu around the same period about “something unusual, a terrifying operation” that Hamas was preparing.
Netanyahu reportedly responded, “In Gaza, we are in the picture, we are in control. Our problem is with the West Bank, and that's where we are also diverting forces.”
On October 1, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar again raised the possibility of taking proactive action against Hamas, including targeting senior figures. Haaretz said Netanyahu did not approve or reject the proposals and did not disclose his reported conversation with bin Zayed.
A senior Shin Bet official told Haaretz that knowledge of the warning could have changed how the agency interpreted other intelligence.
“If we had known about the warnings, there’s a chance it would have given much greater weight to the initial message that reached us from Sinwar,” the official said.
The official added, “Perhaps it would have also clarified what was behind his sudden withdrawal from the de-escalation talks in early September. It’s possible we would have put two and two together and reached a completely different conclusion from the one we arrived at, one that might have altered our entire intelligence picture.”
Netanyahu’s office has rejected the central allegation. In a response cited by Times of Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office called the report “a total lie!” and said, “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.”
According to Israeli publication Haaretz, which based its report on the new book, ‘Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment’, MBZ spoke to Netanyahu for 45 minutes from Abu Dhabi, around 10 days before Hamas launched its October 7 attack.
Haaretz said the three senior foreign officials were updated on the contents of the 45-minute phone call at the end of September. The account, additionally, draws on interviews with senior Israeli officials, recordings, internal documents and correspondence.
A close adviser to bin Zayed, who was aware of the conversation, told Haaretz that the Emirati president had sought to convey the seriousness of the threat.
“The emir explained that, in his assessment, Sinwar was preparing for a major event,” the adviser said. “He told Netanyahu that Israel should be ready.”
Bin Zayed also urged Netanyahu to address the wider sources of instability, including the economic situation in Gaza and rising tensions in the West Bank.
According to the adviser, MBZ was surprised by Netanyahu’s response, as he did not appear alarmed. He told bin Zayed that he believed Hamas was preparing to act in the West Bank and assured him that Israel was ready to respond to any scenario.
The Emirati leader later discussed the warning with CIA director William J Burns, according to Haaretz. Bin Zayed reportedly described his concern that ‘something there is about to explode’ and said Netanyahu had focused instead on the West Bank.
The information reaching bin Zayed had reportedly originated with Yahya Sinwar. Haaretz said a Fatah figure involved in contacts over a prisoner deal had received repeated warnings from the Hamas leader after negotiations stalled.
“Tell the Israelis if they don’t advance, I’m preparing a huge surprise for them,” Sinwar reportedly said in one exchange. “Tell them to expect an earthquake.”
In another conversation, he described his plans as “a formidable operation”, according to the report. The Fatah interlocutor subsequently passed the information to a person connected to bin Zayed.
"The emir hoped that despite his reserved response, Netanyahu would take the message seriously and take action," the adviser says. Instead, Netanyahu chose not to brief the heads of his defense establishment. Israel’s top security chiefs, including the Shin Bet and Mossad heads and the IDF chief of staff, were not informed.
Haaretz also reported that Egypt’s intelligence chief, gen. Abbas Kamel, separately warned Netanyahu around the same period about “something unusual, a terrifying operation” that Hamas was preparing.
Netanyahu reportedly responded, “In Gaza, we are in the picture, we are in control. Our problem is with the West Bank, and that's where we are also diverting forces.”
On October 1, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar again raised the possibility of taking proactive action against Hamas, including targeting senior figures. Haaretz said Netanyahu did not approve or reject the proposals and did not disclose his reported conversation with bin Zayed.
A senior Shin Bet official told Haaretz that knowledge of the warning could have changed how the agency interpreted other intelligence.
“If we had known about the warnings, there’s a chance it would have given much greater weight to the initial message that reached us from Sinwar,” the official said.
The official added, “Perhaps it would have also clarified what was behind his sudden withdrawal from the de-escalation talks in early September. It’s possible we would have put two and two together and reached a completely different conclusion from the one we arrived at, one that might have altered our entire intelligence picture.”
Netanyahu’s office has rejected the central allegation. In a response cited by Times of Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office called the report “a total lie!” and said, “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.”
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