Netanyahu Warned of Oct 7 Attack by UAE, Book Claims — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Haaretz book "Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment" alleges UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told Netanyahu in a 45-minute phone call from Abu Dhabi about a week and a half before October 7, 2023 that Hamas was preparing "a major operation" that could destabilize the region.
- The book reports Netanyahu "reacted calmly" to the warning and did not brief Israeli security chiefs; a UAE diplomat had previously delivered a secure phone to the prime minister to facilitate the back-channel calls.
- Netanyahu's office denied that the UAE gave him a warning, saying any relevant information "was passed through intelligence channels between the two countries" — without disputing that the calls themselves took place.
- Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — later killed by Israel — had earlier warned a former Palestinian official that militants were preparing "a terrifying operation" he described as an "earthquake," according to Haaretz.
- Opposition rivals Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan all declared Netanyahu "unfit" for office, with Eisenkot — Netanyahu's main challenger in the October elections — writing that Netanyahu "received dozens of warnings for 7 October and ignored them all."
- Opposition parties pledged that establishing an independent state commission of inquiry into the security lapses, whose members would be appointed by the supreme court, would be their first priority if elected; Netanyahu's government has rejected the proposal.
- The October 7 attack killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, while Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to the article.
Why it matters: With elections a month away and the opposition already demanding an independent state commission of inquiry, the book's timing hands Netanyahu's rivals a direct 'you knew, you ignored, you failed' line of attack. Eisenkot, Bennett and Golan have all declared him unfit, and Eisenkot says Netanyahu received dozens of warnings and ignored them all.
Ask SkimNews
