Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces intense political backlash and a threatened defamation suit after an investigative book reported that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed warned him of an imminent Hamas attack ten days before the October 7, 2023, assault—an allegation Netanyahu’s office strongly denies as an absolute lie.
The Emirati Warning and the 45-Minute Phone Call
A political firestorm has engulfed Israeli leadership following the publication of the investigative book Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment, written by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. The publication details a secure communication facilitated by a UAE diplomat who delivered a dedicated phone to the Israeli prime minister for high-level talks.
Ten days before the October 7, 2023, attacks, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan allegedly placed a 45-minute call from the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi to Benjamin Netanyahu. Citing three senior foreign sources, it was reported that the Emirati leader warned that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation that would lead to bloodshed, destabilize the region, and undermine the Abraham Accords.
The investigative reporting reveals that the warning originated from contacts involving a Palestinian intermediary. In September 2023, Sinwar allegedly told the intermediary that he was preparing a zilzal
—meaning an earthquake—and described the coming offensive as the mother of all surprises
and a terrifying operation.
That intelligence was passed to the Shin Bet on September 15, and after concluding Israel had not responded adequately, Mohammed bin Zayed intervened directly.
Netanyahu’s Response and the Denial from the Prime Minister’s Office
Despite the high-level diplomatic warning, Netanyahu “reacted with relative calm” during the conversation. He reportedly assured the UAE president that Israel was prepared for any scenario, maintaining his assessment that any major security threat was more likely to originate in the occupied West Bank rather than the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Netanyahu failed to mention the warning during subsequent security briefings leading up to the massacre. Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi both confirmed to the investigative journalists that they had not been informed of the alert delivered by the UAE president.
Netanyahu’s office has pushed back with fierce denials, threatening a libel suit against Haaretz over its coverage. His office dismissed the allegations as an absolute lie,
asserting that no phone call took place with the Emirati president in September or early October 2023.
“If there was any relevant information, it was passed through intelligence channels between the two countries.”
Prime Minister’s Office, via ABC News
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment directly on speculation surrounding conversations between leaders, but noted that Israel and the UAE have maintained “open and direct lines of communication” since establishing diplomatic ties five years ago.
Parallel Warnings from Egyptian Intelligence
The book’s findings align with previous disclosures regarding separate intelligence alerts given to Israeli leadership prior to the outbreak of the war. Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel also contacted Netanyahu during the same period to warn of something unusual, a terrifying operation
being prepared by Hamas.
When faced with the Egyptian intelligence, Netanyahu reportedly responded that Israel was in control of the situation in Gaza and was concentrating its attention and troop deployments on the West Bank instead. Senior security establishment figures told the authors that had they been briefed on these high-level warnings from Abu Dhabi and Cairo, it would have potentially changed how security officials interpreted Sinwar’s earlier statements and withdrawal from negotiations.
Political Fallout Ahead of National Elections
The timing of the book’s release has amplified political tensions as Israel heads toward national elections next month. Opposition figures immediately seized upon the report to demand accountability regarding why pre-attack warnings were seemingly dismissed.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former top general and primary political rival to Netanyahu, blasted the prime minister on social media, writing that He is unfit.
Another political opponent, Naftali Bennett, told 103FM that he knew for a fact the report is true,
adding that the prime minister bears direct responsibility for the failures that led to the deaths of thousands of Israelis on his watch.
With public pressure mounting for an official, independent state commission of inquiry into the security failures of October 7, Netanyahu’s government continues to reject calls for such an investigation. As the upcoming election cycle draws closer, the debate over who knew what—and when those warnings were ignored—remains a central battleground in Israeli politics.
