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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to relay a warning from United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about a possible major Hamas attack to Israel’s security chiefs before October 7, 2023, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Citing two people familiar with the conversation, the newspaper said Sheikh Mohammed called Netanyahu in late September 2023 and warned him that Hamas was considering a major attack. The warning did not clarify whether the group was planning rocket fire or a ground assault.
Warning absent from security meeting
Five former senior Israeli officials told the newspaper that the warning never reached the heads of Israel’s security establishment.
Netanyahu convened security chiefs on October 1 to discuss Gaza, but did not mention the Emirati warning, according to meeting minutes reviewed by The New York Times.
The minutes indicated that Netanyahu instead advocated maintaining calm in Gaza and opposed proposals from some security officials to consider strikes against senior Hamas figures. He argued that military action in Gaza could undermine efforts to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu previously denied receiving warning
Netanyahu had denied receiving the warning after Israel’s Haaretz newspaper first reported the alleged call earlier this month.
The New York Times also reported that Sheikh Mohammed later referred to the September 2023 conversation in a discussion with then-CIA Director William Burns. According to the report, he said he had warned Netanyahu about an impending threat from Hamas in Gaza or the occupied West Bank.
