Haaretz reported that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu 10 days before Oct. 7 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation that could trigger bloodshed and destabilize the region.
Netanyahu’s office called the report an “absolute lie,” saying he did not speak with the UAE leader in that period and received no warning, while adding any relevant intelligence would have moved through bilateral channels.
The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the alleged leader-to-leader conversation but said the two countries have kept open direct communication since establishing ties 5 years ago and continue to share relevant intelligence when needed.
The allegation lands weeks before Israel’s national election, with rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett using Oct. 7 — when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages — to renew attacks on Netanyahu’s judgment.