Full Breakdown
Hunter Biden’s Allegations and the Disputed Pre-October 7 Warning
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
In a recent interview with Britain’s LBC, Hunter Biden – son of former President Joe Biden – asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “knew what was coming” before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and deliberately allowed it to occur to advance a plan that would otherwise have lacked approval. Biden cited a “bombshell report” alleging a warning from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar passed through a Palestinian intermediary to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and then to Netanyahu, but offered no new evidence. Israeli officials have denied that such a warning was received or acted upon.
Background & Context
Journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval reported that Sinwar, in September 2023, warned of a “big surprise” – using the Arabic term “zilzal” (earthquake) – if negotiations stalled. The warning was allegedly conveyed by Sufian Abu Zaida, a former senior Fatah official who identified himself as the unnamed “Coal Eyes” source in the Haaretz investigation. Abu Zaida said he relayed Sinwar’s message to a Palestinian adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who then warned Netanyahu. The advisory chain reportedly reached Israel’s Shin Bet on September 15, 2023, and was passed to Netanyahu, according to the journalists. Netanyahu’s office called the account “an absolute lie” and says no call with the Emirati president took place.
Official Statements & Responses
Prime Minister Netanyahu denied receiving any warning from the UAE president and said internal telephone logs and security-council records show no such conversation. The Israeli government also rejected the characterization of the Gaza war as genocide, stating that its operations aim to limit civilian casualties despite Hamas’s use of civilian infrastructure.
Criticism & Opposition
Biden also suggested that the United States should prepare for the worst in the event of a potential Trump-related crisis, though this commentary is peripheral to the core warning dispute.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The central dispute hinges on whether Netanyahu was warned.
- Journalist claim: Eldar and Yuval assert that Abu Zaida’s relay reached the Shin Bet on September 15, 2023, and that the UAE president subsequently called Netanyahu to emphasize the threat.
- Israeli denial: Netanyahu’s office states that no call occurred, citing checks of call logs and security-council records.
- Evidence gap: The journalists say they possess recordings and documentation, but the Israeli government has not released corroborating material. The UAE has neither confirmed nor denied the alleged conversation.
These contradictory accounts leave the extent of pre-attack intelligence and the Israeli leadership’s response unresolved.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I am an avowed opponent of Bibi Netanyahu and the Likud government, and what they have done in Gaza, what they continue to do in the West Bank, and what they are now doing in Lebanon as well.” — Hunter Biden
- “People in the security establishment said — in the Shin Bet and the IDF — that if we had known about this conversation, it would have given us another assessment of the information that had already arrived on Sept. 15,” — Shlomi Eldar
The controversy over the alleged pre-October 7 warning illustrates the deep mistrust between Israeli officials, regional actors, and external commentators. While journalists maintain that a concrete warning was ignored, Israeli authorities continue to reject the allegation, leaving the true sequence of events before the October 7 attack a contested point in public discourse.