The President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, reportedly cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about an impending significant operation by Hamas ten days prior to the October 7, 2023, assault, according to an article in the Israeli publication Haaretz. Netanyahu’s office has refuted this assertion, labeling the report as a complete fabrication.

The report indicates that bin Zayed expressed concerns that the attack could lead to widespread violence, destabilize the region, and threaten the Abraham Accords, which are the normalization treaties between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority nations.

In response to bin Zayed’s warning, Netanyahu is said to have reacted with a degree of calm, asserting that Israel was equipped to handle any potential scenario. He allegedly proposed that the likelihood of an attack was greater from the West Bank.

The assault on October 7 resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 individuals due to Hamas militants, who also took 251 hostages. Following this, hundreds of Israeli nationals, predominantly military personnel, have lost their lives in ongoing conflicts across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

According to Haaretz, Netanyahu did not convey the warning to Israel’s top security officials. The report claims that former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi were not made aware of the communication attributed to bin Zayed.

Netanyahu’s office has firmly rejected the claims, stating that the prime minister did not engage in discussions with bin Zayed during the alleged timeframe and did not receive any caution from the Emirati leader, as reported by the Associated Press. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the matter.

This report emerges in conjunction with the release of a new book titled “Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment,” authored by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. The publication claims its findings are based on interviews with diplomatic sources and includes insights from an advisor to bin Zayed who was reportedly privy to the conversation. Additional reporting suggests that the investigation utilized official documents, recordings, and correspondence.

The timing of this allegation is significant, as Israel is approaching a general election next month, which intensifies scrutiny on Netanyahu’s response to the October 7 attack. Opposition leaders have leveraged this report to question the prime minister’s prior knowledge of the assault and the adequacy of his response to any warnings received.

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