Netanyahu to sue Haaretz over claims UAE warned him before October 7 attack | Benjamin Netanyahu News
Netanyahu Denies UAE President Warned of Hamas Plans Prior to 2023 Attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pursuing legal action against the Haaretz newspaper following a report that alleged he received a warning from the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about Hamas’s plans for an attack days before the October 7, 2023, assaults.
In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Netanyahu described the report as “fabricated” and “false,” and confirmed he has instructed his lawyers to file a lawsuit against Haaretz as well as the report’s authors, Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yaval.
The Haaretz article, published on September 9, claims that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of a possible Hamas attack ten days prior to the incident. On October 7, Palestinian militants launched an assault in southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of at least 1,195 people and the abduction of approximately 251 others. This violence spurred a military response from Israel that has reportedly resulted in over 73,669 Palestinian casualties in Gaza.
According to the Haaretz report, the UAE president, known as MBZ, communicated with Netanyahu via phone and shared information about a threat posed by then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The report states that Sinwar, frustrated by stalled negotiations for a prisoner exchange and the ongoing blockade of Gaza, communicated warnings through an intermediary, indicating a significant imminent action against Israel.
The report claims that MBZ and his advisors interpreted this communication as a sign of a major attack and relayed the intelligence to Israel’s Shin Bet security agency. However, Shin Bet dismissed the threat as unfounded. According to the report, MBZ later addressed the warning directly with Netanyahu, who also failed to take the alert seriously.
The UAE has not commented on these allegations. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it does not engage with media speculation regarding discussions between government leaders.
The revelations come at a politically sensitive time for Netanyahu, who is preparing for the Knesset elections scheduled for October. Recent polls indicate that Netanyahu is facing significant competition from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu reiterated his denial of a phone call with MBZ. He noted that a review of his call logs by the National Security Council and Military Secretary revealed no record of such communication.
Netanyahu characterized the Haaretz report as politically motivated, suggesting it is part of a campaign orchestrated by “the left” ahead of the elections. In a separate statement, he implicated Palestinian political figure Muhammad Dahlan, who was expelled from the Fatah party in 2011 and resides in the UAE, as being behind the “false report.” Representatives for Dahlan have rejected Netanyahu’s allegations.
