Overview
- Two U.S. investigations and multiple news outlets report that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed privately warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was planning a major operation.
- The Atlantic and other outlets say Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sept. 26, 2023 and delivered an urgent warning that Gaza risked a serious escalation.
- Reporting emphasizes the warnings lacked a specific date, targets or detailed operational plans, and U.S. assessments at the time focused mainly on possible rocket fire rather than a cross-border invasion.
- Several former Israeli officials told reporters the alleged UAE warning did not reach heads of the security establishment, highlighting a suspected breakdown in how intelligence was routed to military and security leaders.
- Netanyahu denies the reported conversations and their characterization, while former defence minister Yoav Gallant confirmed a separate Shin Bet channel had received a Hamas message, and the disclosures have sharpened calls for independent probes and political accountability.