According to an investigation published this Tuesday by the Israeli daily Haaretz, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, allegedly personally warned Benjamin Netanyahu, ten days before October 7, 2023, about Hamas preparing an operation of exceptional scale. This revelation highlights the discreet yet strategic role played by Abu Dhabi in regional security.
If confirmed, the information is remarkable. On September 23, 2023, Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly personally called Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a warning considered serious enough to require a forty-five-minute conversation between the two leaders. According to Haaretz, the Emirates then had information indicating that Yahya Sinwar and Hamas were preparing a major operation likely to cause a bloodbath in Israel and ignite the entire Middle East. The Emirati president reportedly stressed the severity of the threat to the Israeli prime minister.
Abu Dhabi Took the Threat Seriously
The investigation describes an intelligence chain passing through several regional intermediaries before reaching the top of the Emirati state. An emissary in contact with Yahya Sinwar reportedly conveyed that the Hamas leader mentioned an “earthquake,” then an operation of exceptional scale. Mohammed bin Zayed allegedly requested verification of this information before deciding to intervene directly. This approach illustrates the unique position acquired by the Emirates in the region: a partner of Israel since the Abraham Accords, a dialogue partner with the Arab world, and an actor with diplomatic networks capable of communicating with opposing camps.
Netanyahu Allegedly Downplayed the Danger
Still according to Haaretz, Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly received the warning calmly, believing Hamas was preparing an action in the West Bank and assuring that Israeli forces were prepared for various scenarios. More seriously, the daily claims that this Emirati alert was subsequently not transmitted to the Shin Bet, the Mossad, or the chief of staff of the Israeli army. Ten days later, Hamas launched its attack from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli prime minister’s office strongly disputes this version, calling the press information false and denying that such a warning was addressed to Netanyahu.
Abu Dhabi, for its part, chose not to enter the Israeli political battle. The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it does not comment on press reports or alleged confidential conversations between leaders. However, it recalled that, when necessary, relevant intelligence is transmitted between the concerned institutions. This cautious response allows the Emirates to preserve the confidentiality of their diplomatic exchanges while reaffirming their security cooperation with regional partners.
A Regional Role Seen in a New Light
Beyond the Israeli controversy, the case sheds new light on Mohammed bin Zayed’s diplomacy. Since normalization with Israel in 2020, the Emirates have sought to combine strategic cooperation with the Hebrew state, dialogue with Arab states, and prevention of regional crises. If the account by Haaretz is accurate, Abu Dhabi identified before October 7 a risk that Israeli officials did not properly assess and attempted, at the highest level, to prevent a catastrophe whose consequences have since shaken the entire Middle East.
In Israel, these accusations immediately become a major political issue. Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, and Gadi Eisenkot have questioned Benjamin Netanyahu’s responsibility and demand full transparency on the warnings received before October 7. A few weeks before the legislative elections, the question of what the prime minister knew before the attack could become one of the central issues of the campaign. For the United Arab Emirates, however, this investigation strengthens the image of a state that, far from spectacular public declarations, allegedly tried to use its networks and diplomatic influence to prevent one of the most devastating crises in recent Middle Eastern history.
