INTELLIGENCE FAILURE CONTROVERSY: EXPLOSIVE REPORT CLAIMS PM NETANYAHU RECEIVED DIRECT WARNING FROM UAE ABOUT OCTOBER 7 ATTACK BUT KEPT IT QUIET
September 8, 2026
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces intense political fallout following a detailed investigative report alleging he was personally warned by United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) about an impending major Hamas offensive roughly ten days before the October 7, 2023 attacks, but chose not to share the intel with his security chiefs.
The revelations—stemming from a comprehensive investigative report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz—have reignited fierce domestic debate over accountability for the security failures preceding the massacre.
The 45-Minute Phone Call and Dismissed Warnings
According to the report, which draws on research for an upcoming book on the security crisis, the UAE leader placed a direct 45-minute phone call to Netanyahu in late September 2023.
The Source of the Threat: The intelligence originated from statements made by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who had reportedly warned a Palestinian intermediary that he was preparing a massive operation—describing it as an "earthquake" and a "terrifying operation" due to stalled prisoner negotiations.
The Emirati Warning: Alarmed by the intelligence pathway, MBZ directly cautioned Netanyahu that Hamas was planning a large-scale offensive that would cause widespread bloodshed and jeopardize regional stability and the Abraham Accords.
The Prime Minister's Response: Sources cited in the report indicate Netanyahu reacted calmly, assuring the Emirati leader that the situation in Gaza was under control, that any hostile movement was more likely to originate in the West Bank, and that Israel was fully prepared.
Crucially, former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi both stated they were never informed of the conversation or the specific warnings relayed by the UAE leadership. Senior security officials noted that possessing this context could have fundamentally shifted how the agency evaluated other fragmented intelligence signals crossing their desks in the weeks leading up to the assault.
Categorical Denial and Political Backlash
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued an immediate and stern rebuttal, calling the allegations "a total lie!" and maintaining that Netanyahu never spoke with the UAE president during the stated period and received no such warning.
However, the report has already triggered severe political condemnation:
Opposition Attacks: Political rivals, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, publicly asserted that the details of the warning are accurate, accusing the current administration of gross negligence and attempting to block independent inquiries.
Broader Intelligence Scrutiny: The revelations add to earlier, contested accounts regarding pre-attack warnings—including separate signals reportedly flagged by Egyptian intelligence—deepening the national discourse surrounding transparency and command failure within Israel's high-security apparatus.
