Benjamin Netanyahu was personally told by the president of the United Arab Emirates that Hamas was preparing a large-scale offensive against Israel more than a week before the 7 October 2023 attacks, but did not act on the warning, according to a new book by Haaretz reporters. The allegation, published by Haaretz on Tuesday during a crucial election campaign, has intensified criticism of the Israeli prime minister’s handling of the events leading up to the assault. Opposition leaders said Netanyahu was not fit to remain in office, while Netanyahu denied the claims and said the report was an “absolute lie”. UAE Call Warned of Planned OffensiveHaaretz said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had warned a former Palestinian official that militants were preparing what he described as a “terrifying operation” and an “earthquake”. Separately, the report said Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE president, contacted Netanyahu about a week and a half before 7 October. Haaretz said the call was made from the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi and lasted about 45 minutes. It reported that bin Zayed warned Netanyahu that Sinwar was planning a major operation and that the Emirati leader was concerned it could destabilise the region. Haaretz added that Netanyahu responded calmly to the information. The book, Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment, contains the claims, its authors said. They said it is based on dozens of sources in Israel and abroad, including very senior officials. Haaretz also reported that bin Zayed communicated frequently with senior Israeli figures, including Netanyahu and the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. It said a UAE diplomat delivered a secure phone for the conversations. Netanyahu Denies the ReportIn response to Haaretz’s publication, Netanyahu rejected the account, saying he had not spoken to the UAE president at that time. He also called the allegation an “absolute lie”. The reports come after Netanyahu faced sustained scrutiny over security failures before the 7 October attacks. Opposition Demands Answers and InquiryIsrael’s offensive began after Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, fighting and wider conflicts have killed hundreds of Israelis, mostly soldiers. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has left much of the territory in ruins and resulted in the deaths of more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to counts cited by Israeli and international sources. In a joint statement on Tuesday, several Israeli opposition parties said they intended to investigate what Netanyahu knew and when, and what steps he took, if any. They also questioned why the information was not passed to the security establishment. Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander and a leading rival to Netanyahu in the October elections, accused him of evading responsibility for security lapses, saying he used excuses such as claiming he had not been woken up in time on the morning of the attack. Eisenkot said Netanyahu received multiple warnings and ignored them. Naftali Bennett, another former prime minister running in the election, said Netanyahu bore personal and direct responsibility for the deaths on 7 October, which he described as the deadliest attack in Israeli history. Yair Golan, leader of the centre-left Democrats party, accused Netanyahu of endangering Israel, arguing that explanations about not being alerted soon enough were no longer credible. Several Israelis have also demanded an independent state commission of inquiry into the security failures that preceded the Hamas assault. Opposition parties said that if elected, establishing a commission whose members would be appointed by the supreme court would be their first priority. Netanyahu’s government has rejected the proposal. Join the discussion? 9 September 2026
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