Afət Ziyadqızı
The United Arab Emirates warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in advance about an attack Hamas was planning for Oct. 7, 2023.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Haaretz newspaper published the information.
According to the newspaper, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Netanyahu around 10 days before the attack and said that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s plans could have serious consequences beyond Israel and Palestine and destabilize the entire Middle East.
The UAE leader’s close adviser also took part in the telephone conversation. The adviser, a Palestinian who had moved from Gaza to Abu Dhabi many years earlier, reportedly maintained contacts in the enclave.
According to the source, Al Nahyan was surprised by Netanyahu’s response. The Israeli prime minister calmly said that Israel was prepared for any scenario.
The source who spoke to the newspaper said the UAE president had hoped Netanyahu would take the warning seriously and take appropriate measures. However, the Israeli prime minister allegedly withheld the information from the heads of the country’s defense institutions.
The report said that the head of Shin Bet, the director of Mossad and the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces were unaware of Al Nahyan’s warning.
It should be noted that Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, earlier issued Hamas a strict ultimatum on disarmament. According to Kushner, Hamas must fulfill its commitment to disarm in Gaza; otherwise, Israel may complete the military operation it launched.
The reported warning concerns the period before the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the subsequent war in Gaza and heightened regional tensions across the Middle East.
