Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an “explicit warning” from the United Arab Emirates about Hamas plans to carry out a major attack before the Oct. 7, 2023 events, but he failed to brief Israel’s security chiefs, Haaretz reported on Tuesday.
The Israeli daily said UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed held a 45-minute phone conversation with Netanyahu about a week and a half before Oct. 7, warning him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel.
Haaretz, which based its report on dozens of Israeli and foreign sources as well as recordings, internal documents and correspondence, said the UAE president urged Netanyahu to take the threat seriously.
The Israeli premier reportedly responded that he believed Hamas intended to carry out an operation in the occupied West Bank and assured bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario.
Despite the warning, Netanyahu did not brief the heads of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, Mossad intelligence agency or the Israeli army chief of staff about his conversation with the UAE president, according to the report.
