Abu Dhabi (HRNW)- The New York Times has reported that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was considering a major attack, citing two people familiar with the conversation. The report adds new sourcing to an allegation first published by Haaretz.
According to the New York Times report, the warning was conveyed during a phone call between the two leaders and was described as information that Hamas was preparing a significant operation. The sources said the warning did not establish whether the planned attack would involve rocket fire, a ground assault, or another form of violence.
The Times also reported that Netanyahu met with senior Israeli security officials on October 1, 2023, but the meeting minutes reviewed by the newspaper did not mention the alleged Emirati warning. Five former senior Israeli security officials separately told the Times that they were unaware of the warning reaching the country’s top security leadership.
According to the report, some Israeli security officials had proposed military action against senior Hamas figures, while Netanyahu emphasized maintaining calm in Gaza and expressed concern that military escalation could undermine efforts toward Israeli-Saudi normalization.
Netanyahu has denied receiving such a warning, and his office has said that no warning was personally given to him by the UAE president. The Emirati government has not publicly confirmed the reported conversation, saying it does not comment on media reports or speculation concerning discussions between government leaders.
The allegation was initially reported by Haaretz earlier in September 2026, with that report also disputed by Netanyahu. The New York Times initially said it could not independently confirm the claim, but its latest reporting cites additional sources who said they were familiar with the call.
The latest report has renewed public discussion in Israel about what senior political and security officials knew in the period before the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack and how information was handled before the assault.
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