UAE President Warned Netanyahu of Impending Hamas Attack Days Before October 7, Report Reveals

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing intense political backlash following revelations that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan directly warned him of an impending, massive Hamas attack just ten days before the October 7, 2023 massacre. The disclosure, published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz from an upcoming book, alleges that Netanyahu dismissed the high-level warning and failed to brief his own military and intelligence chiefs.

The report has ignited a political firestorm in Israel, where opposition leaders are demanding Netanyahu's resignation ahead of the upcoming October 27, 2026, general elections. While Netanyahu's office has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them an "absolute lie," the revelations have renewed scrutiny over the systemic intelligence failures that preceded the deadliest day in Israel's history.

According to the Haaretz investigation, the warning from President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan came during a 45-minute direct telephone call with Netanyahu approximately a week and a half before the October 7 assault. The Emirati leader reportedly told Netanyahu that "something there is about to explode" in Gaza, urging him to take the threat seriously.

The Emirati president expressed deep concern that a major escalation would cause massive bloodshed, destabilize the Middle East, and undermine the Abraham Accords—the historic 2020 normalization agreement brokered by the United States. A Palestinian adviser to the Emirati leader, who was present during the call, revealed that Netanyahu reacted with surprising calm, reassuring the president that Hamas intended to operate only in the West Bank and that Israel was prepared for any scenario. The Emirati leader later recounted the conversation to CIA Director William J. Burns, hoping Netanyahu would still take action.

The warning from Abu Dhabi followed months of deteriorating security and stalled negotiations. In early 2023, Israel's Shin Bet security agency had established a secret direct channel of communication with Hamas, nearly finalizing a historic prisoner exchange deal. However, the agreement stalled because Netanyahu repeatedly delayed convening the necessary ministerial committee to approve the releases, reportedly fearing leaks to the media and backlash from far-right partners in his governing coalition.

Frustrated by the delays, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar cut off the channel in September 2023 and issued a stark warning through intermediaries, describing his upcoming plans as "the mother of all surprises" and a "terrifying operation" that would act as a "zilzal," the Arabic word for earthquake. This intelligence reached the Shin Bet on September 15, 2023. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar subsequently briefed Netanyahu and warned during a September 17 security meeting that Israel was "on a collision course," recommending immediate offensive or defensive measures. No action was taken.

The UAE was not the only regional power attempting to sound the alarm. According to the Haaretz investigation, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel also contacted Netanyahu directly to warn of an imminent, "terrifying operation" being prepared by Hamas in Gaza. Just as he had with the Emirati president, Netanyahu reportedly brushed off Kamel's warning, asserting that Israel maintained full control over the situation in Gaza and was concentrating its security forces and attention on the West Bank.

Crucially, Netanyahu did not disclose either the Emirati or the Egyptian warning calls during a subsequent high-level security cabinet meeting on October 1, 2023. Senior Shin Bet officials cited in the report noted that if they had been made aware of these direct diplomatic warnings, it could have fundamentally altered how they interpreted Sinwar's aggressive rhetoric and his decision to withdraw from the prisoner negotiations.

The publication of the Haaretz investigation has triggered fierce condemnation from Netanyahu's political rivals, particularly with the October 27, 2026, elections looming. Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander and Netanyahu's primary electoral challenger, accused the prime minister of systematically ignoring critical intelligence. "Netanyahu received dozens of warnings for October 7 and ignored them all. He is unfit," Eisenkot stated on social media.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also launched a scathing attack, asserting that Netanyahu "bears personal and direct responsibility" for the security failures. Bennett argued that Netanyahu "cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute," accusing him of fostering a long-term strategy that treated Hamas as an asset to avoid peace negotiations, while ignoring explicit warnings of its threat.

In response to the mounting criticism, the Prime Minister's Office issued a sharp denial, calling the Haaretz report an "absolute lie." The statement insisted that "Prime Minister Netanyahu didn't speak to the president of the UAE during the period in question and received no warning from him." The Emirati government has not publicly commented on the report.

The political battle unfolds against the backdrop of the immense human cost of the conflict. The October 7, 2023, cross-border raid by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people in Israel, according to official figures, and the abduction of 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military campaign has devastated the Gaza Strip, resulting in 73,658 deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry—figures that the United Nations considers reliable.

The political fallout from these revelations is expected to intensify as Israel approaches the October 27, 2026, elections. Opposition leaders are leveraging the report to demand the immediate establishment of an independent State Commission of Inquiry to formally investigate the pre-October 7 security failures—a move Netanyahu has repeatedly blocked.

With the secret Shin Bet-Hamas channel reportedly having resumed in September 2024 to address stalled hostage negotiations, the ongoing political struggle will likely shape both the electoral landscape and the future of Israel's regional diplomatic alignments.