Former Fatah official says he conveyed Sinwar’s warning to Israel — Jerusalem Post
Former senior Fatah official Sufian Abu Zaida said that before Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, he conveyed to the Israeli side a warning from Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in the Gaza Strip. In a video published on Facebook, Abu Zaida also said that he was the person nicknamed “Coal Eyes,” through whom Sinwar conveyed the warnings.
Meetings with Sinwar
As The Jerusalem Post reports, citing a report by Haaretz journalist Shlomi Eldar, Sinwar met personally with Abu Zaida in September 2023, several weeks before the attack. During the conversation, Sinwar asked him to tell the Israelis that he was preparing a “huge surprise” for them if they did not “move forward.” He also used the word “zilzal,” which translates as “earthquake.”
According to Haaretz, a second meeting took place in the Gaza Strip in mid-September. Sinwar asked Abu Zaida whether his message had been delivered. When he heard that it had not, he said to convey that he was preparing a “terrible operation” and “something unusual,” again using the word “zilzal.”
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Message through the UAE
According to Haaretz’s account, Abu Zaida feared contacting Israel’s Shin Bet security service directly because he could be accused of cooperating with Sinwar. He also feared for his life if he did not pass on the information. Abu Zaida discussed the situation with a Palestinian acquaintance who had moved from Gaza to Abu Dhabi and was an adviser to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
After a meeting in Abu Dhabi, Abu Zaida and the adviser, according to the outlet, concluded that Sinwar intended to launch a full-scale war. After that, the UAE president allegedly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned him about the expected attack.
Abu Zaida also said that before October 7, Israel and Hamas had been conducting lengthy negotiations over the release of four Israelis held by Hamas at the time: Hadar Goldin, Oron Shaul, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed. According to him, the talks involved the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, lifting the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and resolving electricity and water problems in exchange. Israel linked these steps to the release of the bodies and captives held by the group.
