Netanyahu is said to have been warned about Hamas attack before Oct. 7

Key Points:

• As Israel approaches its upcoming election, the responsibility for failing to prevent the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, has become a central issue, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blaming national security officials while critics hold him personally accountable.
• Reports emerged that Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, president of the UAE, secretly warned Netanyahu of a major Hamas attack, but Netanyahu has denied these claims despite multiple sources affirming the warning was given.
• Former Israeli officials reveal that Netanyahu did not share this warning with Israel’s security chiefs during a critical October 1 meeting, instead emphasizing maintaining calm in Gaza and opposing preemptive strikes to avoid jeopardizing potential Saudi-Israeli diplomatic relations.
• The intelligence provided by Sheikh Mohammed was vague regarding the nature of the planned Hamas attack, and the original sources of this information remain unclear.
• Neither the Emirati Foreign Ministry nor Netanyahu’s office have commented on the report or the alleged warning.