Netanyahu failed to relay UAE warning of possible Hamas attack to security chiefs: NYT

Meeting minutes show the premier pushed to maintain calm in Gaza, citing Saudi normalisation prospects

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to pass on a warning from United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about a possible major Hamas attack to Israel’s security chiefs before October 7, 2023, the New York Times reported on Friday.

The Times, citing two people familiar with the conversation, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu in late September 2023 and warned him that Hamas was considering a major attack.

Read: Israeli army admits unpreparedness for Oct. 7 Hamas attack

The warning, however, did not specify whether Hamas was planning rocket fire or a ground assault.

Five former senior Israeli officials told the newspaper that the warning never reached the heads of Israel’s security establishment.

Read more: 5 Netanyahu claims at UN that clash with documented findings

Netanyahu convened security chiefs days later, on October 1, to discuss Gaza but did not mention the Emirati warning, according to meeting minutes reviewed by the newspaper.

The minutes showed that Netanyahu instead pushed to maintain calm in Gaza and resisted proposals by some security officials to consider strikes against senior Hamas figures. He argued that military action in Gaza could jeopardise efforts to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu had denied receiving the warning after the Haaretz newspaper in Israel first reported the alleged call earlier this month.

The Times also reported that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed later referred to the September 2023 call in a conversation with then-CIA Director William Burns, saying he warned Netanyahu about a looming threat from Hamas in Gaza or the occupied West Bank.