Prime Minister Netanyahu did not disclose alleged UAE warning at meeting — Jerusalem Post

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly did not disclose a possible warning from the president of the United Arab Emirates about a large-scale Hamas attack during a Gaza security meeting on October 1, 2023. This was reported by the Jerusalem Post, citing a New York Times report.

Meeting six days before the attack

According to the NYT, the meeting took place six days before Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. The publication cited five former Israeli security officials. They also said that Netanyahu rejected proposals by security chiefs to strike Hamas leaders in Gaza who had directed terrorist attacks in the West Bank.

According to the NYT's sources, the prime minister instead insisted on maintaining calm, given the possibility of a diplomatic agreement with Saudi Arabia. He allegedly believed that an Israeli-Saudi agreement was close and that Israel Defense Forces operations in Gaza could derail its conclusion.

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Denials by Netanyahu and the UAE

The NYT publication came after a Haaretz investigation published on September 8. It claimed that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Netanyahu in the days before the October 7 attack that Hamas was preparing a major operation against Israel. Three foreign sources told Haaretz that the Israeli prime minister dismissed the threat.

Netanyahu denied these claims. According to his office, on September 9 he instructed lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar. The prime minister's office said that a review of call logs and records of visits to the office found no visit by a UAE representative during the specified period.

The UAE also rejected Haaretz's claims. An unnamed official source in the country told The National that the Emirates discuss security issues through the relevant structures rather than directly at the level of heads of state. Two US sources also told the Jerusalem Post that Joe Biden's administration was unaware of any specific UAE warning that Hamas was preparing a large-scale attack.