Overview
- Haaretz, citing a forthcoming book, reports that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 to warn that Hamas was planning a large operation.
- The account says the warning moved through a Fatah intermediary and a UAE adviser to Egyptian intelligence and then to Israeli channels, and that Netanyahu did not pass an explicit alert to Israel's top security chiefs.
- Netanyahu’s office issued a formal denial calling the report false and saying any information would have been handled through intelligence channels, while the UAE declined to comment on press reports and said relevant intelligence is shared when needed.
- Opposition leaders, including Gadi Eisenkot, sharply condemned Netanyahu on Tuesday and renewed calls for a court‑appointed independent investigation into failures before October 7, 2023.
- The allegation adds political pressure days after publication and could affect voter perceptions before the October 27 election as the country continues to debate responsibility for the October 7 attacks and their heavy human toll.