Overview
- A Haaretz investigation published on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 says President Mohamed bin Zayed phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for about 45 minutes roughly ten days before the October 7, 2023 attack to warn that Hamas was planning a large operation.
- Reporters say the warning originated with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and was passed through mediators to Emirati advisers, and that Haaretz based its account on dozens of sources, recordings and internal documents.
- The paper also reports that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and, via diplomatic channels, the CIA were told similar warnings in the same period.
- The Prime Minister's Office rejected the story as a 'lie absolute' and said Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president at the time, creating a direct factual dispute between the government and Haaretz.
- Opposition leaders have seized the report to demand a state commission to determine who knew what and when, a development that could reshape the campaign before Israel's October 27 election and influence ties with Gulf mediators involved in Gaza policy.