Israeli opposition figures sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday following a report that he was warned weeks before the October 7 attack by Hamas but failed to alert security officials. The report, published by Haaretz, stated that Netanyahu had a 45-minute phone conversation in late September 2023 with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, during which he was reportedly informed of a planned Hamas operation designed to destabilize Israel and the region. Netanyahu’s office has denied these claims.
According to the report, Netanyahu appeared unconcerned during the conversation, asserting that Israel was prepared for any situation. Netanyahu himself vowed to sue Haaretz for libel, dismissing the report as a politically motivated falsehood and stating that security authorities found no record of such a conversation with Sheikh Mohamed between September and the Hamas attack in October. The prime minister’s office also reiterated that no direct warning from the UAE president was received and that any intelligence would have been channeled through official security channels.
The Emirati foreign ministry declined to comment on the report but confirmed that communication lines between the UAE and Israel remain open and that relevant intelligence is exchanged regularly between the two governments.
The allegations come at a politically sensitive moment for Netanyahu, with national elections scheduled for later this month amid uncertainty about his prospects for reelection. Questions about the intelligence Netanyahu received in the lead-up to the deadliest attack in Israeli history have become a central electoral issue in a deeply divided society. The assault resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the taking of 250 hostages to Gaza.
Netanyahu has sought to position himself as Israel’s strongest security guarantor while shifting some of the blame for the October assault onto other actors. Records indicate that after the attack began at 6:29 a.m. on October 7, Netanyahu did not immediately order a military response and several hours passed before he spoke with the chief of staff. The ensuing Israeli military campaign in Gaza has caused widespread destruction, significant civilian casualties, and the displacement of large numbers of Palestinians.
Opposition leaders criticized Netanyahu’s far-right government for contributing to Israel’s international isolation and intensifying unrest in the West Bank, where settler violence has escalated since the conflict began. They cited the new report as further evidence that Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is unfit to lead.
Four opposition party heads issued a joint statement calling for an independent commission to investigate the events before, during, and after the October 7 attack once the elections conclude. While Netanyahu initially resisted such scrutiny, he agreed earlier this year to form an inquiry, though critics say his proposed framework lacks independence.
The opposition leaders condemned what they described as a series of failures by Netanyahu and his administration and pledged to prevent them from returning to power. In recent polls, Netanyahu trails former army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who leads in voter confidence on security issues. Eisenkot has accused Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival over Israel’s national interests.