According to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed conveyed advance notice to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a planned Hamas offensive approximately 10 days prior to the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The UAE leader reportedly emphasized that the operation, led by Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, would result in significant casualties and posed risks to regional stability as well as the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority states.
The Haaretz account indicates Netanyahu received this information with measured composure, responding by assuring bin Zayed that Israel maintained readiness for various scenarios. According to the report, Netanyahu suggested that any potential attack was more likely to originate from the occupied West Bank rather than from Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement characterizing the report as “an absolute lie,” denying that the prime minister spoke with the UAE president during the timeframe referenced or received any warning from him. The office added that any relevant intelligence sharing between the two nations occurred through standard intelligence channels. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on specifics regarding conversations between government leaders while noting that the two countries maintain regular communication and share intelligence as needed.
The Oct. 7 attack resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 individuals taken hostage. Subsequent military operations have claimed additional lives, including hundreds of Israeli soldiers, alongside tens of thousands of Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities. The circumstances surrounding the attack and Netanyahu’s preparedness have become central issues in Israel’s upcoming national elections scheduled for next month, with political opponents citing his handling of pre-attack warnings and intelligence as grounds for criticism.
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