Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his lawyers Wednesday to sue Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar for libel over a report alleging he was warned by the UAE ahead of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, incursion, The Jerusalem Post reported.
In a statement cited by the newspaper, the Prime Minister’s Office called the Haaretz report "completely fabricated,” saying there had been no communication between Netanyahu and the UAE from the beginning of September 2023 until the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion.
The office said a review of Netanyahu’s call records and records of entries to the Prime Minister’s Office during that period showed no visit by an Emirati representative.
It accused Haaretz of publishing the report as part of a politically motivated campaign ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 elections.
The Prime Minister’s Office also blamed former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi for failures surrounding the Oct. 7 incursion, alleging that they had seen indications of an impending attack hours before it began but failed to inform Netanyahu on time.
