Full Breakdown
Netanyahu’s alleged pre-Oct 7 warnings: claims, denials and political fallout
9/9/2026, 4:05:47 PM
Core Event – Reported warnings and subsequent denial
An investigation by *Haaretz* says UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ten days before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas assault that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation. Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel reportedly delivered a similar warning. Netanyahu’s office called the report “an absolute lie” and said the prime minister had not spoken with the UAE president during that period.
Background & Context – Intelligence channels and diplomatic contacts
The warning chain began on Sept. 15, when Sinwar allegedly told a Palestinian intermediary he was preparing a “zilzal” (earthquake) and a “mother of all surprises.” The intermediary passed the message to the UAE, which relayed it to President bin Zayed. The president then used a “unique system” for a 45-minute conversation with Netanyahu, according to Shlomi Eldar. Egyptian intelligence chief Kamel is reported to have warned Netanyahu of “something unusual, a terrible operation.”
Timeline
- Sept. 15 – Sinwar’s “zilzal” warning transmitted via intermediary.
- Oct. 1 – Netanyahu holds a security briefing on Gaza and the West Bank; the alleged warnings are not mentioned.
- Oct. 7 – Hamas launches the large-scale attack that kills ~1,200 Israelis and takes 251 hostages.
Official Statements & Responses
- Haaretz investigation – Cites senior foreign sources that the UAE president directly warned Netanyahu and that the warning was not passed to senior Israeli security officials.
- U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner – Commented that the upcoming Oct. 27 election has made the Israeli government act “a little irrational” on Gaza, reflecting the political sensitivity of the warning controversy.
Criticism & Opposition
- Naftali Bennett, former prime minister, declared the warning report true and held Netanyahu personally responsible for the Oct. 7 disaster.
- The October Council, representing families of Oct. 7 victims, urged a broader inquiry into who received the warnings and how they were handled, warning that focusing solely on whether Netanyahu was “woken up” ignores the larger pattern of missed alerts.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- *Haaretz*, *CBC* and other outlets report that the UAE and Egypt issued explicit warnings, citing recordings and diplomatic logs.
- Netanyahu’s office and senior Israeli security officials (Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, former IDF chief Herzi Halevi) say they were never briefed on such calls.
- No publicly released transcript of the alleged 45-minute conversation exists, leaving the precise content and timing of the warning unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They have conversations through a unique system. A representative from the embassy arrives with the application, with a phone, and they hold a conversation that lasts 45 minutes,” — Shlomi Eldar
- “People in the security establishment said, both in the Shin Bet and the IDF, that if we had known about that conversation, we would essentially have received another assessment reinforcing the information that had already arrived on September 15,” — Shlomi Eldar
- “The report that Netanyahu was warned 10 days before the October 7 massacre about Sinwar’s intentions is true,” — Naftali Bennett, former prime minister
- “I think we agree with the Israelis on the end state for Gaza,” — Jared Kushner
