Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure from Israeli opposition figures following a report that the United Arab Emirates had warned him about the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.
A report by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, citing an investigation from a new book by its writers, said UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told Netanyahu a week and a half before the attacks that the Hamas militant group was planning a large-scale operation, which he warned could threaten the stability of the region.
The report, which was based on largely anonymous sources, said Netanyahu responded to the warning with “relative calm,” adding that he believed Hamas was focused on the West Bank and that Israel was ready for any potential scenario.
The prime minister’s office has denied that Netanyahu spoke with Mohamed bin Zayed and branded the report an “absolute lie.”
In a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon, the leaders of the opposition “Change Camp” called for an “immediate and thorough investigation” following the report.
“The Israeli public has a right to know: What did Netanyahu know, when did he know it, why did he not brief the security establishment, and why did he not act to protect the citizens of Israel?” the statement reads, adding that there was “no longer any room for excuses, denials, or cover-ups.”
Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and a rival to Netanyahu in the upcoming legislative elections, had earlier said the Israeli leader “received dozens of warnings for October 7 and ignored them all.”
“He is unfit for office,” he added in a post on X.
In a video address, Yair Golan, the leader of the Democrats party, also accused Netanyahu of “endangering Israel” and “leading us to disaster.”
“You knew, you ignored, you failed, you are to blame, Netanyahu. The excuses are over,” he said.
Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy told Euronews that the 7 October attacks were a “strategic failure” on Israel’s part.
“If this report is true, it’s hard to say why he wouldn’t pass that on, other than that he didn’t think it was credible. And that’s because Netanyahu was really convinced that Hamas was deterred,” Levy said. “It was a basic strategic failure to understand the nature of the enemy facing Israel, its true intentions and its real capabilities”.
‘Terrifying operation’
According to the Haaretz report, Hamas’ former leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar – who has since been killed – told a former Palestinian official that the group was readying a “terrifying operation” against Israel while apparently pressing them to relay the message to Israeli officials.
The former Palestinian official then shared what he had heard with an Emirati adviser, who briefed Mohamed bin Zayed, per the report.
On 7 October, Hamas militants surged into Israel by land, sea and air as rocket attacks hit Israeli territory.
More than 1,200 people were killed in the attacks, while around 250 others were taken hostage into Gaza.
In response, Israel began a campaign of air strikes on Gaza while also launching a ground invasion of the territory.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 73,600 people in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The United Nations considers the ministry’s figures reliable.
Israel’s elections
Israelis are due to head to the polls on 27 October for a national election to determine the 120-seat Knesset (parliament).
On election day, voters are asked to choose a political party and its list of candidates, rather than choosing individual candidates directly.
Asked about the Haaretz report’s impact on Netanyahu’s chances in the elections, Levy told Euronews that it was “too early” to rule him out, but that the vote would ultimately be about “responsibility for October 7.”