Just weeks before the upcoming pivotal election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under scrutiny for allegedly ignoring crucial warnings from Arab allies that could have potentially averted the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
A new book featured in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper claims that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed personally contacted Netanyahu ten days prior to the assault to alert him about a significant potential move by the militant group targeting Israel.
Journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval revealed that Netanyahu received the warning but failed to relay it to key security officials, including the chief of staff, the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, and even the defense minister.
The devastating Oct. 7 attacks became the deadliest in Israeli history, resulting in over 1,200 casualties, including more than 800 civilians and 251 individuals taken as hostages back into Gaza.
Following the attacks, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have led to the death of more than 74,000 people, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
According to Eldar’s sources, the warning from the U.A.E. was vague about the timing but indicated that Hamas’s Gaza leader, Yahiya Sinwar, was planning a significant action.
A new book co-authored by Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar reveals that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu about a potential significant move by Hamas more than a week before the attacks. (CBC)
After Haaretz published these claims, other media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic reported that Egypt’s intelligence head, Abbas Kamel, also provided similar warnings days before Oct. 7.
Netanyahu has refuted these accusations, labeling them as fabrications orchestrated by political adversaries and regional entities aiming to sabotage his reelection prospects on Oct. 27.
He denied receiving any warnings and labeled the allegations as politically motivated falsehoods spread by certain countries or entities abroad.
While the U.A.E. has not confirmed or denied the claims in Eldar’s and Yuval’s book “Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment,” the allegations have reignited calls from Israelis for a state inquiry into the country’s security lapses over the past three years.
A protester resembling Netanyahu kneels with a sign in Hebrew declaring the ‘untimely death of responsibility’ during the third anniversary of the attacks in Tel Aviv. (Avi Ohayon/Reuters)
On the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, memorial ceremonies were accompanied by protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, demanding accountability from Netanyahu.
Demonstrators held signs emphasizing “No forgiveness for failure, no forgiveness for abandonment” and “The people will remember Oct. 7 on Oct. 27,” alluding to the upcoming election.
Eyal Esh