Dahlan denies involvement in Haaretz report alleging UAE warned Netanyahu ahead of Oct. 7

Mohammed Dahlan, leader of Fatah's Democratic Reform faction, denied Prime Minister Netanyahu's allegation that he was behind a Haaretz report claiming the UAE warned Netanyahu before the October 7 attack. Dahlan's spokesperson called the claims ludicrous and part of Netanyahu's election campaign to evade responsibility for October 7 failures. The UAE declined to confirm or deny the report, and experts doubted Dahlan's involvement.

Mohammed Dahlan, leader of Fatah's Democratic Reform faction, has denied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allegation that he was behind a Haaretz report claiming the United Arab Emirates warned Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023 attack. FRD spokesperson Dimitri Diliani told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that the claims are "ludicrous and misleading" and part of an "incitement campaign" to drag Dahlan into Israel's election contest. Netanyahu, who announced plans to sue Haaretz and reporter Shlomi Eldar for libel, claimed that Emirati-based Dahlan was behind the "false report." Likud alleged that Dahlan needs a weak left-wing government to seize control of Gaza with Hamas. Diliani asserted that Dahlan has never participated in Israeli internal politics and is focused on Palestinian rights. The UAE has declined to confirm or deny the report. Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at INSS and the Misgav Institute, doubted Dahlan's involvement, reasoning he would not jeopardize his trust with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Michael suggested Netanyahu's accusations are a campaign to distract from October 7 failures, noting that even if a warning was given, the entire system had information it misinterpreted.