NETANYAHU ASKED UAE PRESIDENT TO DENY PRE-OCT. 7 WARNING: REPORT

Tue 29 September 2026:

Secret Abu Dhabi meeting comes amid renewed scrutiny over alleged intelligence warnings before the 2023 Hamas attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed to deny claims that the Emirati leader had warned him of an impending Hamas attack before October 7, 2023, during a secret meeting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The meeting, reported by Haaretz and subsequently by other outlets citing people familiar with the discussions, lasted about an hour. Israeli and Emirati authorities had not officially confirmed the visit at the time of the reports.

According to Haaretz, Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to reject reports about their alleged phone conversation and other details surrounding the period before October 7 that “could embarrass him.” One source also said Netanyahu sought what was described as “moral support.”

The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment specifically on the reported meeting but has previously said that the two countries maintain “open and direct lines of communication” and that relevant intelligence is shared between them.

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Renewed controversy over warnings before October 7

The reported meeting comes amid mounting scrutiny over what Israeli leaders were told in the weeks before Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

Earlier this month, Haaretz reported that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu that Hamas was preparing a major operation. Netanyahu’s office has denied receiving such a warning, and Netanyahu has described the original report as false.

The controversy intensified after The New York Times reported last week, citing two people familiar with the matter, that bin Zayed had indeed warned Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was considering a major attack.

According to the report, the warning was not passed on to Israel’s senior security officials. Meeting records reviewed by the newspaper indicated that Netanyahu convened security officials on October 1 to discuss Gaza but did not mention the Emirati warning.

The New York Times also reported that Netanyahu opposed some proposals for military strikes against senior Hamas figures, citing concerns that escalation could undermine efforts to secure diplomatic normalisation with Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu continues to reject the allegations

Netanyahu’s office has repeatedly rejected claims that the Emirati president personally warned him before the Hamas assault.

The dispute has become particularly significant as questions continue over the intelligence and political decisions preceding October 7, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

The attack triggered Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza and a prolonged regional conflict.

Gaza war and international legal scrutiny

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and extensive destruction, according to Gaza health authorities and international organisations. Israel says its military campaign is directed against Hamas and other armed groups.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and the allegations.

The latest revelations have therefore reopened debate over what Israeli political and security leaders knew before October 7, who received the warnings and how those warnings were handled before the attack.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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