Netanyahu denies receiving UAE warning before October 7, threatens to sue Haaretz, refuses official accountability inquiry

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure from domestic media, former senior military officials and opposition leaders. According to ABC News, Netanyahu has denied a Haaretz report claiming he received a verbal warning from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed ten days before Hamas launched its deadly October 7, 2023 assault. The warning, as reported, stated that Hamas was planning an imminent attack that could cause bloodshed and jeopardize normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab and Muslim states.

The Haaretz report also disclosed that Netanyahu allegedly responded "relatively calmly" during the call with the UAE president, assuring his counterpart that Israel was prepared for any scenario and that a more likely attack would come from the occupied West Bank. The report further noted that this warning was not passed on to Israeli defense or intelligence officials.

Netanyahu has characterized the report as an "absolute lie," claiming that "no such call" took place with the UAE president in September or early October 2023, and accusing the media of a smear campaign against him ahead of next month's Israeli election. His lawyers have sent a letter to Haaretz threatening a defamation lawsuit. Haaretz has stated that it stands by its reporting.

A statement from Netanyahu's office said: "If there was any relevant information, it was communicated through intelligence channels between the two countries." The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the alleged conversation between the leaders, stating only that the two countries have maintained "open and direct communication channels" since formally establishing diplomatic relations five years ago, and that "when necessary, all relevant intelligence has been and will continue to be conveyed."

More critically, Netanyahu has refused to launch any official government investigation into the October 7, 2023 events—a decision that comes against the backdrop of rising demands for accountability across Israeli society and political spectrum. Gadi Eisenkot, a former senior Israeli general now seen as a key electoral rival to Netanyahu, has publicly accused the prime minister of ignoring dozens of pre-attack warnings, writing on social media: "He is unfit." Another opposition leader, Naftali Bennett, has stated: "Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility for the failure that led to the deaths of thousands of Israelis on his watch."

This accountability battle plays out against the backdrop of an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 killed more than 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a military campaign against Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has stated that Israeli strikes have killed more than 73,650 Palestinians and injured hundreds of thousands.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025, but according to ABC News, the ceasefire did not end the conflict. Gaza Health Ministry figures show that more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect. The report noted that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City have continued, killing at least three Palestinians including two children. Israel has said such operations are aimed at preventing attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, but Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and undermining the broader peace plan pushed by U.S. President Trump—a plan that includes further Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.

The standoff between Haaretz's pre-attack warning report and Netanyahu's denial highlights a glaring absence of power accountability around the events of October 7: on one side, a top leader refusing an independent investigation and threatening to sue reporters; on the other, a cycle of violence continuing in the name of a ceasefire.