UAE leader warned Israel days before Oct. 7 invasion, report claims; Netanyahu calls it ‘absolute lie’

The UAE has not publicly confirmed the reported pre-Oct. 7 conversation.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a direct warning from United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major attack against Israel roughly 10 days before the Oct. 7 massacre, according to a new report published on Tuesday by the left-wing daily Haaretz.

Netanyahu’s office categorically denied the report, saying no such conversation took place.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is running against Netanyahu in the upcoming Knesset election, publicly backed the account Tuesday, saying he knows the reported warning was genuine.

According to the investigation, the warning developed from messages attributed to Sinwar that passed through a Palestinian intermediary with contacts in both Hamas and Israeli security circles.

Sinwar reportedly warned that he was preparing a “zilzal” — Arabic for earthquake — and subsequently referred to what was coming as “the mother of all surprises” and “a terrifying operation.”

The information eventually reached senior officials in the UAE.

Haaretz reported that Mohammed bin Zayed, commonly known as MBZ, became sufficiently concerned to contact Netanyahu personally in late Sept. 2023. The two leaders reportedly spoke for approximately 45 minutes.

During the call, MBZ reportedly told Netanyahu that Sinwar was planning a major operation against Israel and urged him to take the threat seriously.

The Emirati leader was said to be particularly concerned that a major attack could cause extensive bloodshed, destabilize the Middle East and threaten the Abraham Accords, through which the UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations in 2020.

Netanyahu reportedly responded that he believed Hamas was principally focused on activity in Judea and Samaria and assured the Emirati president that Israel was prepared for any eventuality.

According to the investigation, Netanyahu did not relay the conversation to the heads of Israel’s major security agencies.

Former Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi both reportedly told Haaretz they had not been informed of the warning from MBZ.

The Prime Minister’s Office rejected the account outright.

“An absolute lie!” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that the prime minister did not speak with the UAE president “during the period in question.”

The UAE has not publicly confirmed the reported pre-Oct. 7 conversation.

The new report also places the alleged Emirati warning in a broader chain of indications that Hamas was preparing for a major confrontation.

According to Haaretz, information originating with the Palestinian intermediary had already been passed to the Shin Bet by Sept. 15.

Bar subsequently briefed Netanyahu on Sinwar’s threatening message, and Israeli security chiefs convened an assessment two days later.

During that meeting, Bar reportedly warned that Israel was “on a collision course” and proposed either a significant offensive step or increased defensive preparations in Gaza and Judea and Samaria ahead of the Jewish holidays. No major change in policy was ordered.

The investigation also revived a separate and long-disputed claim that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel warned Netanyahu shortly before the massacre.

In the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, Egyptian officials told news organizations that Cairo had repeatedly warned Israel that Hamas was preparing “something big.”

One report said Kamel personally told Netanyahu about the possibility of “something unusual, a terrible operation” approximately 10 days before the attack. Netanyahu denied the claim at the time, calling reports of an Egyptian warning “fake news.”

The new Haaretz investigation similarly claims Kamel contacted Netanyahu and warned him about unusual Hamas preparations, while Netanyahu replied that Israel had the Gaza situation under control and was concentrating much of its attention on Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu reportedly did not mention either the alleged Emirati or Egyptian warnings during an Oct. 1 security discussion devoted to Gaza.

Documents released by Netanyahu’s own office earlier this year showed that Israeli security officials nevertheless continued to assess Hamas as deterred in the days immediately preceding the massacre.

At a Sept. 27, 2023 security assessment, Military Intelligence representatives said Hamas did not want an escalation and was pursuing “controlled pressure” to obtain economic benefits for Gaza. Bar was recorded as saying Hamas “very much does not want to enter a round of fighting.”

A separate Oct. 3 assessment — four days before the attack — concluded that Hamas was continuing to build its military strength but that Palestinians were unlikely to drive a broader regional war. Even during a Shin Bet assessment early on Oct. 7, shortly before the assault began, officials assessed the probability of a broad Hamas campaign as low.