UAE warning to Netanyahu on Hamas plot highlights unheeded alert before October 7
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly warned Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation shortly before the October 7 attacks.
A reported warning from the United Arab Emirates to Israel’s leadership suggests that concerns about a major Hamas operation were raised at the highest levels before the 7 October 2023 attacks.
According to accounts now circulating, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a direct warning about a week and a half before 7 October. He is said to have told Netanyahu that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major Hamas operation against Israel.
Netanyahu reportedly replied that he believed Hamas was focused on the West Bank and said Israel was prepared for any scenario. The exchange, as described by these sources, points to a difference in how Emirati and Israeli leaders assessed Hamas’s immediate intentions.
The UAE warning followed earlier signs of a possible escalation. In September, intermediaries had raised concerns with Israel about Hamas activity, which helped prompt the more direct message from Mohammed bin Zayed. The warning came from a head of state whose country had invested heavily in normalization and security ties with Israel.
The account adds another layer to ongoing debates over how Israeli authorities interpreted and acted on intelligence prior to 7 October. It also highlights the growing but complex role of Gulf intelligence sharing in Israel’s threat picture.
For the UAE, conveying such a warning would have underlined its interest in preventing a major confrontation that could destabilize the region and inflame public opinion. For Israel, the reported response reflects a focus at the time on threats in the West Bank and other arenas.
Key signals to watch include any comment from Israeli or Emirati officials confirming or contesting this account, references to such warnings in official Israeli reviews of the October 7 failures, and any impact on the tone of future high‑level contacts and intelligence cooperation between Israel and Gulf states.
Sources
- OSINT