Key facts
- UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a major Hamas operation days before the October 7 attacks.
- Netanyahu reportedly dismissed the warning and did not inform Israeli security or military leaders.
- The warning was reportedly made during a 45-minute phone call in late September 2023.
- Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was reportedly preparing for a 'major event' and 'the mother of all surprises'.
- Egyptian intelligence also reportedly warned Netanyahu of a planned attack.
- Hamas reportedly offered to release civilian captives immediately after the October 7 attack, but Israeli officials rejected the offer.
The president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) warned Israel’s prime minister days before the 7 October attacks that Hamas was planning a major operation, an investigation for a forthcoming book has found. Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the warning from Mohammed bin Zayed and did not inform Israel’s security or military leaders, according to the investigation, published by Haaretz.
The warning was made during a 45-minute phone call in late September 2023. A Gaza-born adviser to the UAE ruler stated that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing for a 'major event' and that Israel should be ready, while also recommending economic solutions for Gaza and calming the West Bank.
Netanyahu reportedly reassured bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario and believed Hamas intended to operate in the West Bank. The revelation is contained in the upcoming book 'Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment' by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, based on three senior foreign sources familiar with the call's contents.
It has previously been reported that Egyptian intelligence also warned Netanyahu of a planned Hamas attack. Then-Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel reportedly warned Netanyahu of 'something unusual, a terrifying operation,' to which Netanyahu allegedly replied that Israel was in control in Gaza and their problem was with the West Bank.
Netanyahu has denied that the phone call with the UAE president took place or that he received such a warning. The investigation also revealed secret indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in early 2023 concerning the blockade on Gaza and prisoner exchanges, which stalled in August 2023. Sinwar had reportedly warned of an 'earthquake' and 'the mother of all surprises' if no progress was made, and these threats were conveyed to Israeli officials and the UAE president.