UAE official denies Abu Dhabi's MBZ warned Netanyahu of large-scale attack ahead of Oct. 7 - report

A UAE official denied claims that President Mohammed bin Zayed warned PM Netanyahu of a planned Hamas attack before October 7, 2023, stating security matters are discussed through relevant bodies, not at the leadership level. The denial follows a Haaretz investigation alleging a 45-minute warning call. The Prime Minister's Office denied the report, and Netanyahu plans a libel lawsuit against Haaretz.

An official source in the United Arab Emirates rejected claims that President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a possible Hamas attack in the weeks before October 7, 2023. The official stated that the UAE discusses security matters through relevant bodies, not at the leadership level. The statement was issued to Abu Dhabi's state-owned newspaper The National, which described it as rejecting recent claims of a direct warning. The denial follows a Haaretz investigation alleging that about a week and a half before the attack, MBZ called Netanyahu and warned him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant move. The call reportedly lasted 45 minutes, and the information was not passed to Israeli security chiefs. The Prime Minister's Office denied the report from the outset, and Netanyahu announced plans to file a libel lawsuit against Haaretz. The new response is firmer than a cautious September 8 statement from the UAE Foreign Ministry, which declined to confirm or deny the conversation. The issue has become a major focus of Israel's political debate ahead of elections, particularly regarding which warnings reached the political leadership before the attack.