Netanyahu under fire over report UAE warned of Oct 7 attack

Israeli opposition leaders have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly being warned of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before it occurred. According to Haaretz newspaper, which is basing its report on a forthcoming book, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed Netanyahu a week-and-a-half prior to the attack that Hamas was planning a major operation.

The prime minister's office denied the report, calling it an "absolute lie" and denying any communication with the Emirati leader at the time. Former military commander Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of evading responsibility for security lapses and using weak excuses, such as claiming he was not woken up promptly on the morning of the attack.

He stated that Netanyahu received multiple warnings about the attack but disregarded them all. Opposition leader Naftali Bennett, also running in the upcoming elections, said Netanyahu "bears personal and direct responsibility" for the deaths on October 7 and could not continue serving in his position. Haaretz reported that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had warned a former Palestinian official of an impending "terrifying operation," which was relayed to an Emirati adviser who then informed the UAE leader.

The UAE normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The newspaper cited anonymous sources, stating that Netanyahu responded calmly to the warning. Netanyahu had previously sought to maintain the status quo with Hamas, who received funding through Qatar and were reportedly more interested in self-preservation than a devastating war with Israel.

On October 7, Hamas launched an attack that killed 1,221 people and took 251 hostages, with 44 of them subsequently dying. Israel's massive offensive has left Gaza in ruins, with the health ministry reporting 73,658 fatalities.