Overview
- Haaretz published an investigation on September 8, 2026 reporting that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the last week of September 2023 to warn of a large Hamas operation and that Netanyahu did not relay the warning to Israel’s security chiefs.
- The Prime Minister’s Office issued a firm denial, calling the claim a “total lie” and denying any late‑September exchange with the UAE leader.
- Haaretz says the warning originated with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was passed to a Fatah intermediary, relayed to a UAE adviser and then to bin Zayed before reaching Netanyahu.
- Opposition figures including former chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot and ex‑prime minister Naftali Bennett seized on the report to accuse Netanyahu of negligence and to demand investigations as national elections near.
- The allegation arrives against the backdrop of the October 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,221 Israelis and the heavy Gaza toll reported by the Gaza Health Ministry; the story’s reliance on an unpublished book means the central claim is reported but not independently verified.