The Emirates warned Netanyahu of a major Hamas attack before October 7
President Mohammed bin Zayed allegedly alerted the Israeli prime minister that Hamas was preparing a large-scale operation ten days before the attacks
JerusalemThe President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel days before the October 7 attacks, according to an investigation published this Tuesday by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Netanyahu reportedly dismissed the warning, even though the Emirati president, in a 45-minute direct conversation, had asked him to take the threat seriously. The conversation took place about ten days before the attacks, according to the newspaper, which cites three senior officials familiar with its content.
Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly warned Netanyahu that the then-leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, was planning a major operation against Israel. The Israeli prime minister reportedly replied that he believed Hamas intended to act in the West Bank and assured the President of the Emirates that Israel was prepared for any scenario. Netanyahu, however, did not report this warning in the security meetings prior to October 7. According to Haaretz, neither the head of the Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service, nor the head of the Mossad or the chief of staff of the Israeli army had been informed of Mohammed bin Zayed's warning.
The investigation is part of the book Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment (Hostages: 843 days of abandonment) by Israeli journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, where they explain that the origin of the warning dates back to indirect talks that Israel and Hamas had been holding for months before the October 7, 2023 attacks to move towards a long-term agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The negotiations included economic measures such as the progressive lifting of the Gaza blockade, the increase in food imports, and the possible creation of commercial zones on the borders with Israel and Egypt. By the summer of 2023, according to the investigation, most of the economic aspects were already resolved and only the most sensitive issue remained on the table: the release of Hamas prisoners in exchange for the bodies of Israeli soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul and the release of Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, who were being held in the Strip.
Elections in sight
At the end of August 2023, the Israeli Prime Minister had already approved the release of 30 prisoners and only the authorization of the ministerial committee for hostages and missing persons was missing. However, according to the report, Netanyahu postponed the convening of this committee again and again. When negotiations stalled in early September, the then-leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, began to warn through an intermediary with contacts in both Hamas and Israel that he was preparing a "zilzal", that is to say, an earthquake. Later, he described what he was planning as "the mother of all surprises" and "a terrifying operation".
The message reached the leadership of the United Arab Emirates and, on September 15, the Israeli security service. The former head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, informed Netanyahu of Sinwar's warning and high-ranking defense officials held a situation assessment meeting two days later. In that meeting, Bar reportedly recommended strengthening defensive measures in Gaza and the West Bank, but no decision was made. The investigation also explains that the head of the Egyptian intelligence services, Abbas Kamel, contacted Netanyahu during those days and warned him that Hamas was preparing "something unusual". Netanyahu reportedly replied that Israel had the situation under control in Gaza and that he was focusing the deployment of troops in the West Bank.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office has categorically denied the Haaretz investigation and that the conversation with the President of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, took place. "An absolute lie! Prime Minister Netanyahu did not speak with the President of the United Arab Emirates during the period in question and did not receive any warning from him," the office stated. The Emirates have not yet made any statement regarding the investigation.
The publication of this information comes at a particularly sensitive time for Israel, with the elections on the horizon and the political responsibility for the security failure of October 7 once again at the center of the debate. The attack of October 7, 2023, caused 1,221 deaths and 251 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza, of whom 168 were released alive and returned to Israel.