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An investigation by Haaretz found that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a personal warning from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan roughly 10 days before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. He chose not to share the intelligence with Israel's top security officials.
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had personally warned Netanyahu that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel, according to the Haaretz report. The investigation was conducted as part of research for the forthcoming book Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. Three senior foreign sources familiar with the exchange told Haaretz about the 45-minute phone call.
Netanyahu reportedly assured bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario — but he did not pass the warning to his security officials. Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi both told Haaretz they were not informed of the conversation.
Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel also separately alerted Netanyahu around the same period, Haaretz reported. Meanwhile, Sinwar had warned through a Palestinian intermediary in September 2023 that he was preparing a "zilzal" — Arabic for earthquake — later describing what was coming as "the mother of all surprises." That intelligence reached the Shin Bet on September 15. Bar subsequently briefed Netanyahu and warned during a security assessment two days later that Israel was "on a collision course," recommending either offensive action or strengthened defenses around Gaza and the West Bank.
Netanyahu reportedly mentioned neither the bin Zayed call nor the Kamel warning during an October 1 security discussion about Hamas and Gaza.
The Prime Minister's Office categorically denied the allegation. "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 told The Jerusalem Post.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, however, corroborated the report Tuesday on Tel Aviv-based radio station 103FM. "Mohammed bin Zayed of the Emirates warned Netanyahu that Sinwar was planning an operation. Also, Egyptian General Intelligence chief Abbas Kamel had warned Netanyahu days before the massacre that a major operation was planned," Bennett said. "I don't want to talk about my relationship with anyone. I'm telling you that I know this fact is true."
