Netanyahu faces backlash over report he was warned of Hamas attack days before October 7

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced intense political criticism on Tuesday following a report that the UAE president had alerted him of a major Hamas operation days before the October 7, 2023 attack. The Prime Minister's Office dismissed the report as an "absolute lie." However, Netanyahu's political opponents seized on the report, as Israel's October elections are less than two months away.

The four leaders of opposition parties – Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan – jointly called for a thorough investigation into Netanyahu's alleged failures. They questioned why he did not update the security establishment or take action to protect Israeli civilians. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett labeled the report as "true," describing Netanyahu's alleged disregard for warnings as "criminal negligence."

Bennett's ally, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, also stated that he had publicly warned of an attack, and that Netanyahu's failure to act would have prevented the massacre. The report, based on Israeli journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval's findings, revealed that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu around 10 days before October 7.

During a 45-minute call, the UAE leader warned Netanyahu that Hamas' Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, was planning a major attack that could destabilize the region. Netanyahu reportedly reacted "relatively calmly" to the information and assured Bin Zayed that Israel was prepared. The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the media story but affirmed that relevant intelligence was and continues to be communicated between the relevant entities.

An Israeli source familiar with the matter said Netanyahu's office attempted to have the UAE deny the Haaretz report, but the UAE only issued a statement on intelligence sharing. The Prime Minister's Office categorically denied the report, stating that Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the relevant period and did not receive any warning from him.

Eldar, one of the journalists behind the report, disagreed with Netanyahu's denial, claiming he had worked on the report for nearly a year and a half and had documents and records proving the UAE's warning.