Israel's Netanyahu to sue newspaper over claim UAE warned him of 7 October attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to sue the newspaper Haaretz over a report claiming the UAE warned him of an impending Hamas attack before October 7th. The report, citing anonymous sources, states that in late September 2023, a UAE representative delivered a confidential warning from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about Hamas preparing a major operation described as an "earthquake." According to Haaretz, Netanyahu reacted with relative calm, assessing Hamas would operate in the West Bank and assuring the UAE that Israel was prepared. The report further alleges Netanyahu did not brief key Israeli security and military leaders about this conversation. Haaretz stated it stands by its reporting, which is based on extensive research for an upcoming book.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he will sue the Haaretz newspaper over a report claiming he was warned of Hamas's offensive plans days before the October 7, 2023 attacks. Netanyahu described the report as "fabricated" and "false" in a statement on X, and has instructed his lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit against Haaretz and the report's authors. The Haaretz article, published Tuesday, alleged that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of a potential Hamas attack approximately 10 days prior to October 7. According to the report, the UAE president received intelligence from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was reportedly preparing a "huge surprise" and an "earthquake" for Israel. The UAE then passed this intelligence to Israel's Shin Bet agency, which reportedly dismissed the threat.