Overview
- Haaretz published excerpts from a forthcoming book by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval saying UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for about 45 minutes in September 2023 to warn of a planned large‑scale Hamas operation.
- The report says the call used a secure, eavesdrop‑proof phone brought into Netanyahu’s office and that Netanyahu did not pass the warning to Israel’s security chiefs.
- Netanyahu’s office has categorically denied the account, called it an “absolute lie,” and on September 9 said it was preparing a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz and the authors.
- The UAE declined to confirm the specific report but said relevant intelligence is shared when needed, leaving key details disputed while three foreign officials and a UAE adviser are cited as corroborating sources in the book excerpts.
- The revelations have reignited demands for a formal state investigation into the failures before the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, sharpened opposition criticism ahead of the October 27, 2026 vote, and revived questions about other reported warnings from Egypt and Israeli security officials.