Netanyahu faces calls to resign over Hamas warning

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing pressure to resign after reports emerged that the UAE warned him about a planned Hamas attack days before the October 7 assault. If confirmed, the warning raises serious concerns about Israel’s intelligence response and the effectiveness of security coordination with regional allies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing renewed calls from opposition leaders to resign following a report that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) warned him about an impending Hamas attack prior to the October 7, 2023, assault. The report, published by Haaretz and based on an upcoming book by the newspaper’s journalists, claims that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan contacted Netanyahu approximately ten days before the attack, alerting him to Hamas’s plans for a significant operation.

The alleged warning has intensified scrutiny of Netanyahu’s handling of intelligence related to Hamas and its activities. Opposition figures argue that the prime minister’s government failed to act adequately on the purported tip-off, which could have mitigated the severity of the attack. These leaders have called for Netanyahu’s resignation, citing a broader pattern of mismanagement and insufficient preparedness.

Netanyahu’s office swiftly denied the report, issuing a statement that no such warning was received from the UAE before October 7. The Israeli government has otherwise not provided detailed public commentary on the matter.

In response to inquiries, the UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment directly on the media report but affirmed that there are “open and direct lines of communication” between the UAE and Israel. The ministry did not confirm or deny the specific claim that a warning about Hamas was conveyed.

The October 7 attack by Hamas was one of the deadliest in recent Israeli history and has led to significant military and political repercussions in Israel and the wider region. The revelation of a potential advance warning, if verified, could raise questions about intelligence sharing and cooperation between Israel and its regional partners.

At this stage, no independent confirmation has emerged to corroborate the report, and discussions about the alleged communication continue to be politically sensitive within Israeli domestic politics. The broader implications for Israel-UAE relations are also under consideration, given the recent normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.