Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned that Hamas was preparing a major attack days before October 7, 2023, but did not pass the information to Israel's top security chiefs, according to a report published Tuesday by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
The report states that Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu roughly ten days before the assault and told him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation that could cause bloodshed and destabilize the region.
The alleged advance notice has intensified scrutiny over what Israeli leaders knew ahead of the Hamas-led assault and whether multiple warning signs were ignored. The development carries significant weight because it touches on accountability for the deadliest attack in Israel's history and the devastating war in Gaza that followed.
The report also raises questions about decision-making at the highest levels of Israel's government in the days leading up to an assault that killed around 1,200 people.
According to Haaretz, Netanyahu played down the threat during the alleged call, saying he believed Hamas was more likely to act in the West Bank and that Israel was prepared. The newspaper reported that the warning was not relayed to Israel's top security officials.
Netanyahu's office has rejected the report as an "absolute lie," insisting no such call took place. The denial marks a direct contradiction between the prime minister's office and the newspaper's reporting.
Haaretz previously reported that Sinwar had sent messages through Palestinian intermediaries warning that he was preparing an "earthquake." That message reportedly reached Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security service, whose then-chief Ronen Bar briefed Netanyahu. Egyptian intelligence was also reported to have warned Israel shortly before the attack.
Israeli intelligence had separately obtained a Hamas battle plan known as 'Jericho Wall', outlining a cross-border assault, attacks on military positions and hostage-taking. The New York Times later reported that the document closely resembled the October 7 operation. Israeli officials have disputed how seriously the plan was taken and whether it was considered an imminent threat.
Netanyahu's government has also faced criticism for allowing Qatari funds to flow into Hamas-run Gaza for years. Critics argue the policy ultimately strengthened the group that Israel later went to war to destroy.
Beyond the alleged advance warning, questions have been raised over Israel's military response on October 7. Investigations have suggested that the so-called 'Hannibal Directive', which permits extreme measures to prevent the capture of soldiers, may have contributed to Israeli civilian deaths as forces struck vehicles and other locations where hostages or civilians may have been present.
Around 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack and 251 were taken hostage. Israel's subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 73,600 Palestinians, according to the enclave's Health Ministry.
Netanyahu's office has firmly denied the Haaretz report, and no independent confirmation of the alleged Emirati phone call has been made public. The dispute leaves open the question of what Israeli leaders knew before October 7 and whether the reported warning signs were acted upon.
Further reporting or official clarification may be needed to establish whether the call occurred and what information, if any, was shared with Israel's security establishment.
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