New York (Monitoring Desk) — The New York Times has claimed that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a possible major attack by Hamas before the October 2023 assault.
According to the report, in late September 2023, the UAE president contacted Netanyahu and told him that Hamas was considering preparations for a major attack. Two sources confirmed the contact based on their knowledge of the conversation or briefings from someone who participated in it.
According to the New York Times, the claim was initially published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, but at the time, the Times did not consider it independently verified.
The report said that on October 1, 2023, Netanyahu held a meeting with senior Israeli security officials regarding the situation in Gaza, but the minutes of the meeting made no mention of the Emirati warning. Five former senior Israeli security officials also said the information had not reached the security leadership.
According to the report, some security officials at the meeting proposed taking action against Hamas leaders, while Netanyahu emphasized keeping tensions in Gaza low and expressed concern that escalation could affect possible diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
On the other hand, Netanyahu has denied receiving any such warning personally from the UAE president.