Netanyahu Denies Warning Before October 7 Massacre

UAE President Warning Details and Timing

According to three high-ranking foreign sources cited by Haaretz, the UAE leader placed a 45-minute phone call to Netanyahu roughly a week and a half before the October 7 attacks. Mohamed bin Zayed warned that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a large-scale operation that could trigger massive bloodshed, destabilize the region, and undermine the Abraham Accords. Bin Zayed urged Netanyahu to take the threat seriously. Netanyahu responded by asserting his assessment that Hamas intended to act in the West Bank instead, assuring the UAE president that Israel remained prepared for any scenario.

A close advisor to bin Zayed stated that the initial intelligence emerged from meetings involving a Palestinian mediator connected to both Hamas and Israeli security officials. In September 2023, Sinwar reportedly warned through the intermediary that he was preparing a “zilzal” (earthquake) and later described the impending plan as the “mother of all surprises” and a “horrifying operation.” The information reached UAE leadership and was subsequently passed to Shin Bet on September 15, 2023.

Internal Israeli Security Response

Following the intelligence transfer, then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar informed Netanyahu of Sinwar’s warning, prompting senior military officials to hold a security meeting two days later. Bar cautioned that Israel was on a “collision course” and recommended either a powerful offensive action or stricter defensive measures in Gaza and the West Bank prior to the Jewish holidays. No decisions were finalized at the end of the discussion. Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamal also spoke with Netanyahu during the same timeframe, warning of an unusual, horrifying operation planned by Hamas. Netanyahu replied that Israel maintained control of the situation in Gaza and concentrated troop deployments on the West Bank.

During an October 1 discussion regarding Gaza and Hamas, Netanyahu made no mention of the warning calls. A senior Shin Bet official stated that had security personnel known about the warnings, it might have altered how they interpreted Sinwar’s earlier statements and his withdrawal from negotiations. Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi told Haaretz they had not been briefed on the warning allegedly delivered by the UAE president. Netanyahu’s office issued a formal statement dismissing the reports: “Absolute lie! Prime Minister Netanyahu did not speak with the president of the United Arab Emirates during the said period and did not receive any warning from him.”

Political Fallout and Subsequent Attacks

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett challenged Netanyahu’s denial in an interview with radio station 103FM, stating he knew for a fact that the reports were accurate. Bennett stated that both Mohamed bin Zayed and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamal warned Netanyahu days before the massacre. Bennett asserted that Netanyahu bore direct responsibility for the catastrophe due to a long-standing policy of supporting Hamas over 15 years while ignoring explicit warnings. Gadi Eisenkot, chair of the “Ya’ar! with Eisenkot” party, echoed those remarks, arguing that the new reports reinforce evidence that the prime minister failed to act on pre-attack warnings.

Days prior to the publication of the book’s details, Netanyahu stated that multiple warning signals preceded the October 7 attacks, but that he had not been informed of them, maintaining that military and intelligence leadership feared he would order a massive military response. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise, large-scale assault on Southern Israel involving massive rocket fire, motorized paragliders, and fighters breaching the Gaza border barrier using explosives and vehicles. The attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of over 250 hostages in the first direct conflict inside Israeli borders since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed warn Benjamin Netanyahu before October 7?

According to investigative reporting in the book “Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment” and reports by Haaretz, bin Zayed called Netanyahu roughly a week and a half before the attacks to warn him that Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation. Netanyahu’s office has denied this, calling the claim an absolute lie.

What did Israeli security chiefs know about the warnings?

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated to Haaretz that they were not informed of the warning allegedly sent by the UAE president, though Bar had separately warned Netanyahu in September 2023 that Israel was on a collision course with Hamas.

How did Israeli leadership respond to the intelligence?

While intelligence regarding a potential Hamas operation was shared with the Prime Minister’s office and security agencies via Egyptian intelligence and intermediaries, critics and former officials state that no decisive defensive or offensive actions were executed prior to the October 7 assault.