United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was preparing a major attack, according to a New York Times report. The newspaper cited people familiar with the call and former Israeli security officials.
Bin Zayed passed on information that Hamas planned an operation but did not say whether it would involve rockets or a ground assault. Five former senior Israeli security officials told the Times that this warning never came up at a key security meeting Netanyahu held on October 1, just six days before the October 7 attack. The newspaper also reviewed the meeting minutes.
During that meeting Netanyahu stressed the need to keep calm in Gaza. He resisted suggestions from security officials for strikes against senior Hamas figures. He also worried that military action could harm chances of Saudi Arabia establishing diplomatic ties with Israel, a deal he believed was close.
The same warning had earlier been reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. According to that account, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar described the planned operation as major or terrifying to a former Palestinian official. The information reached an Emirati adviser and then bin Zayed, who contacted Netanyahu about ten days before the attack.
Netanyahu has denied receiving any such warning. His office said relevant information from the UAE would have moved through intelligence channels. The UAE has declined to comment directly on the reported conversations while noting that it shares intelligence when necessary.
The October 7 attack killed about 1200 people in Israel and took around 250 hostages. It exposed serious failures in Israel’s security and intelligence systems and remains a major political issue as the country prepares for national elections next month.
The Times report also notes earlier warnings that went unheeded. Israeli officials had obtained a Hamas battle plan called Jericho Wall in 2022, but military leaders viewed it as unrealistic. Other assessments concluded Hamas was not preparing for large-scale war.
The UAE and Israel established ties in 2020 under the Abraham Accords. That relationship has stayed important despite the ongoing war in Gaza.
