Netanyahu was warned before October 7 of a Hamas attack. He did nothing — New book explosively claims | Today’s news
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned by United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about a planned large-scale Hamas operation about a week and a half before the October 7, 2023 attack, according to a new book by Haaretz reporters.
The allegation has increased fresh pressure on Netanyahu over his handling of warnings of the deadly Hamas attack. Netanyahu dismissed the claim as an “absolute lie” and denied that he had spoken to the Emirati leader at the time.
The UAE president reportedly warned Netanyahu
According to Haaretz, bin Zayed called Netanyahu from the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi about a week and a half before October 7.
The reported 45-minute conversation reportedly included warnings that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation that could destabilize the region.
The UAE president reportedly expected a more serious reaction from Netanyahu, but was surprised by the Israeli prime minister’s calm response.
Netanyahu denies speaking to the UAE leader
Netanyahu vehemently denied the report, calling the allegations “an absolute lie.”
He also denied speaking to bin Zayed during the period covered in the book.
The accusations come at a politically sensitive time for Netanyahu, who faced constant criticism over Israeli intelligence and security failures before the Oct. 7 attack.
Sinwar reportedly described the operation as an ‘earthquake’
The report also claims that Sinwar warned a former Palestinian official that Hamas was preparing a “terrifying operation.”
Sinwar reportedly described the planned attack as an “earthquake,” suggesting that the scale of the operation was known within Hamas circles before it began.
A book based on dozens of sources
The claims appear in the documentary Hostage: 843 Days of Abandonment, written by Haaretz reporters.
According to the authors, the book relies on dozens of sources in Israel and other countries, including high-ranking officials.
Haaretz also reported that bin Zayed maintained frequent communications with senior Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. A UAE diplomat reportedly provided Netanyahu with a secure phone for such conversations.
The opposition demands a state commission of inquiry
The allegation has sparked fresh calls for an investigation into what Israeli leaders knew before the October 7 attack.
Former military commander Gadi Eisenkot, now a prominent Netanyahu rival, said the Israeli public had a right to know what the prime minister knew, when he knew it and whether the security establishment was informed.
The October 7 attack killed more than 1,200 people
Hamas gunmen killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages during the attack on October 7, 2023, according to the data provided in the report.
The attack sparked a subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza and a wider regional conflict involving Lebanon and Iran.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive devastated large parts of Gaza and killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to the source.
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