🔶 Political uproar over UAE’s warning to Netanyahu ahead of October 7

According to Haaretz, about 10 days before Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of the United Arab Emirates, personally warned Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, that Hamas was planning a major attack on Israel, but he did not inform Israel’s security officials and did not take action based on this information.

The report cites a new book titled “Taken Hostage: 843 Days of Silence,” by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yoval, two journalists. The book is written based on interviews with dozens of sources, including senior officials in Israel and elsewhere in the world. The report says that three senior foreign officials had been informed of the content of a 45-minute phone call in late September. The report also refers to one of Mohamed bin Zayed’s advisers, who had direct awareness of the conversation.

Based on the report, published Tuesday, September 8 (17 Shahrivar), Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu that Yahya Sinwar, the then-leader of Hamas, was planning a major move against Israel—an action that could lead to bloodshed, destabilize the region, and potentially damage the Abraham Accords.

The report says Mohamed bin Zayed was surprised by Netanyahu’s calm and optimistic reaction. Netanyahu told him that Israel had the situation in Gaza under control; any action by Hamas would likely take place in the West Bank, and Israel was prepared for any scenario.

According to the report, Mohamed bin Zayed’s awareness of the Hamas threat had been obtained through Sinwar himself. In mid-2023, Sinwar had become frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations related to the release of prisoners with Israel; Hamas at that time had several Israelis that had voluntarily entered Gaza, as well as the bodies of two soldiers.