Netanyahu Accused of Ignoring UAE Warning Before October 7 Attack
13 sources across 9 countries
Who reported this
- Haaretz
- The Times of Israel
- The Jerusalem Post
- Le Monde
- France 24
- ANSA
- Corriere della Sera
- La Nacion
- La Tercera
- El Espectador
- NRC
- Dawn
- El Pais
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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An investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a planned large scale Hamas operation approximately ten days before the October 7, 2023, attacks. According to the report, the UAE president spoke with Netanyahu for 45 minutes, conveying that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a terrifying operation described as an earthquake. The investigation alleges that Netanyahu responded calmly, believed the threat was focused on the West Bank, and failed to inform the heads of the Shin Bet, Mossad, or the IDF about the warning. The Prime Minister's Office has categorically rejected these claims, calling them absolute lies and denying that such a conversation took place.
Israeli opposition leaders have reacted strongly to the revelations. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that the report is true and argued that Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility for the massacre. Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander and political rival, called Netanyahu unfit for office and dismissed the Prime Minister's previous claims that he was not woken up early enough on the morning of the attack as pathetic. Yair Lapid also claimed that he and other officials had warned the Prime Minister of the threat weeks prior.
Additional details from the reports suggest that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel provided a similar warning around the same period. Some sources indicate that the Shin Bet had recommended a targeted assassination of Yahya Sinwar on October 1, but Netanyahu reportedly did not accept the proposal. While some security officials suggest that this information could have changed the interpretation of intelligence, others in the security establishment maintain that the available data on the night of the attack was too partial to have necessarily changed the outcome.
How each side framed it
- Left
- This outlet framed the report as an exposé that proved Netanyahu led the country blindly to disaster.
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the growing fury and calls for Netanyahu's resignation, framing the event as a failure of leadership.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the core accusation and the official denial without adding significant political commentary.
- Centre-right
- These outlets provided detailed accounts of the security warnings and the specific reactions of political rivals while maintaining a focus on the factual dispute.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: 'The Emirates warned Netanyahu of the October 7 attack'. He: 'Total lie'
- Centre-right Corriere della Sera: «Netanyahu was warned of Hamas threats 10 days before October 7, but did not act»: the accusation in an investigative book by two Israeli journalists
- Centre-left Dawn: Israeli PM Netanyahu under fire over Haaretz report alleging UAE warned of Oct 7 attack
- Centre-left El Espectador: Fury grows against Netanyahu in Israel for ignoring warning of Hamas attack in 2023
- Centre-left El Pais: Netanyahu received a warning from Emirates about a possible Hamas attack a week before October 7
- Centre France 24: Benjamin Netanyahu accused of having ignored a warning about the October 7 massacre
- Left Haaretz: Netanyahu led Israel 'blindly to disaster,' Eisenkot says after Haaretz exposé on UAE warning before Oct. 7
- Centre-right La Nacion: Revealed that Netanyahu allegedly received a direct warning from an Arab ally before the Hamas attack
- Centre-right La Tercera: Haaretz says Netanyahu ignored warning from United Arab Emirates about the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023
- Centre-left Le Monde: October 7: Benjamin Netanyahu implicated after the publication of a journalistic investigation claiming that he had been informed of a coming attack
- Centre NRC: ‘Who did not wake whom up?’ Criticism of Netanyahu because he did nothing with warning for the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023
- Centre-right The Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu rejected Shin Bet recommendation to assassinate Sinwar before Oct. 7
- Centre-right The Jerusalem Post: Bennett confirms Netanyahu was warned by UAE of Sinwar threat before Oct. 7
- Centre-right The Jerusalem Post: UAE warned Netanyahu of major Hamas attack days before October 7 massacre, Haaretz reports
- Centre-right The Jerusalem Post: Opposition leaders vow to form Oct. 7 probe as first act of new gov't, demand truth from Netanyahu
- Centre The Times of Israel: Days before Oct. 7, UAE leader warned Netanyahu Hamas was planning war, but PM did nothing with the info – report
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.