UAE President warned Netanyahu of Hamas ‘earthquake’ before October 7 attack: Report

Tel Aviv: The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel.

The claim was made in an investigation published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which cited sources in the UAE and Israel's Shin Bet security agency.

According to the report, bin Zayed personally spoke to Netanyahu by phone for around 45 minutes and warned him that "something" was about to happen in Gaza.

The report said the UAE president used the Arabic word "Zilzal," meaning "earthquake," to describe the possible attack.

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Netanyahu was reportedly told to take warning seriously

According to Haaretz, bin Zayed was concerned that a major Hamas attack could cause heavy casualties and create wider instability in the region. He also reportedly feared that it could damage the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab countries.

A Palestinian adviser who was present during the conversation told Haaretz that Netanyahu appeared relatively calm during the call.

The Israeli prime minister reportedly told bin Zayed that he believed Hamas was more likely to carry out an operation in the West Bank and said Israel was prepared for different scenarios.

The report also claimed that bin Zayed later discussed the warning with then-CIA Director William J. Burns.

Warning from Sinwar had already reached Shin Bet

The reported call was not the only warning received by Israeli officials. The Haaretz investigation said Israel's Shin Bet and Hamas had opened a secret communication channel in early 2023. The two sides were reportedly close to reaching an agreement over a prisoner exchange.

However, the deal did not move forward after Netanyahu repeatedly delayed a meeting of the ministerial committee that needed to approve the release of prisoners, according to the report.

Shin Bet officials involved in the talks reportedly said Netanyahu was worried that details of the negotiations could leak to the media.

As the talks continued to stall, Sinwar allegedly sent a warning in September 2023 that he was preparing a "Zilzal", which he later described as a major and frightening operation.

Shin Bet chief briefed Netanyahu

According to the investigation, the message from Sinwar reached Shin Bet on September 15.

Then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar reportedly briefed Netanyahu about the warning.

Two days later, senior Israeli defence officials held a security meeting. Bar reportedly warned that Israel was heading toward a serious confrontation and called for stronger defensive steps or military action in Gaza and the West Bank before the Jewish holidays. No major decision was reportedly taken at the meeting.

Egypt also reportedly issued a warning

The report said Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, also warned Netanyahu about an unusual and potentially serious Hamas operation. Kamel reportedly described the planned attack as a "terrifying operation."

Netanyahu allegedly responded that Israel had the situation in Gaza under control and was focusing more attention and troops on the West Bank.

According to Haaretz, Netanyahu did not mention the reported UAE or Egyptian warnings at a security meeting on October 1.

A senior Shin Bet official told the publication that if senior security officials had known about all the warnings, they might have viewed Sinwar's earlier statements differently.

October 7 attack followed days later

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel. The assault began early in the morning and resulted in the deaths of many people. Hamas also took around 251 hostages during the attack, according to figures cited in the report.

The attack triggered the war in Gaza and led to a major regional crisis.

Netanyahu rejects the report

Netanyahu's office strongly denied the claims made in the Haaretz investigation.

The Prime Minister's Office said the report was an "absolute lie" and stated that Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question.

It also said Netanyahu received no warning from bin Zayed about a planned Hamas attack.

The UAE president did not respond to Haaretz's request for comment, according to the publication.