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Netanyahu Received Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7 Attack, Failed to Brief Security Chiefs, Investigation Reveals



UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed personally warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel less than two weeks before the October 7, 2023 massacre — but Netanyahu never shared the warning with Israel's top security officials, according to an extensive investigation published by Haaretz.

The revelations come from reporting by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, conducted for their new book, "Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment" (Kinneret Zmora Publishing). The research drew on dozens of sources in Israel and abroad, including recordings, internal documents, and correspondence.

According to the Haaretz report, bin Zayed called Netanyahu from the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi for a 45-minute conversation, warning that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation that could destabilize the region and undermine the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu reportedly responded calmly, telling the Emirati ruler he believed Hamas intended to operate in the West Bank and that Israel was prepared for any scenario.

Three senior foreign sources confirmed the call's contents. Bin Zayed later recounted the conversation to CIA Director William J. Burns, telling him he had sensed "something there is about to explode."

Crucially, the heads of the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the IDF chief of staff were never informed. "If we had known about the warnings... it could have changed our entire assessment picture," a senior Shin Bet official told Haaretz. Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi both confirmed they were not briefed.

The investigation traces the warning's origins to secret Israel-Hamas truce talks that Netanyahu had approved but repeatedly stalled. In September 2023, Sinwar cut off contact and told a Fatah intermediary to warn Israel of a coming "zilzal" — an earthquake. That message reached bin Zayed through a Palestinian adviser, prompting both the Shin Bet warning on September 15 and the later direct call to Netanyahu. A similar warning came from Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Abbas Kamel.

The report also details missed opportunities after the attack, including Qatari mediation offers for the release of civilian hostages that Israeli officials initially rebuffed.

Netanyahu's office dismissed the investigation as "an absolute lie," stating the prime minister "didn't speak to the president of the UAE during the period in question and received no warning from him." Bin Zayed did not respond to Haaretz's request for comment.

Photo: AI

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