"Netanyahu Ignored Prior Warning of Oct. 7 Hamas Attack That Claimed Over 1,000 Lives, Revelations Show"

Revelations have emerged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was directly warned by the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about the October 7, 2023, Hamas surprise attack—hailed as the worst security failure in Israel's history—yet chose to brush it off.

Even an opposition leader has stepped forward to claim that the explosive allegations are true, signaling that the issue is set to become a fiercely contested battleground ahead of the general election.

Citing a new book titled "Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment" by Israeli journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on the 8th that Prime Minister Netanyahu knew about the Hamas surprise attack beforehand but tacitly ignored it.

According to the report, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Netanyahu during a 45-minute phone call in late September 2023 that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a massive bloodbath that would shake the region.

However, Netanyahu reportedly responded dismissively, saying, "Israel has the situation in the Gaza Strip under control and is prepared for all scenarios."

The report indicates that this crucial intelligence originated from Sinwar himself.

Frustrated by stalled negotiations over prisoner releases, Sinwar blustered to a senior official of Fatah, the Palestinian political party that governs the West Bank, that he was "preparing a massive surprise."

This intelligence was passed through the UAE president's adviser to Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency, in mid-September.

Shin Bet reportedly failed to accurately interpret the intel as a threat of all-out war originating from the Gaza Strip, prompting the UAE president to personally call Netanyahu out of concern over Israel's lukewarm response.

Yet, Netanyahu allegedly failed to share the contents of the phone call with his country's security leadership, including Shin Bet.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office completely denied the report, calling it entirely false and stating that Netanyahu neither spoke with the UAE president nor received any such warnings at the time.

However, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a political rival of Netanyahu, countered on his social media platform X on the same day, asserting that the report was true.

Bennett claimed, "This morning's report that Netanyahu was warned of Sinwar's intentions ten days prior is true," adding, "His behavior in ignoring the warning amounts to criminal negligence, and he bears personal and direct responsibility for the failure that cost the lives of thousands of Israeli citizens."

He further criticized Netanyahu for failing to convene the security leadership at the time, alleging instead that he had funded Hamas and was intentionally obstructing the formation of a state commission of inquiry to uncover the truth.

The Hamas surprise attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people on the Israeli side, with 251 taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, some of whom ultimately died.

Consequently, the incident is regarded as the worst security failure in Israel's history.

Netanyahu, who was the ultimate security chief at the time, sparked controversy on the 1st during an Instagram live broadcast by appearing to shift blame onto defense and security leadership, stating, "They knew that as the Prime Minister of Israel, I would have immediately ordered an emergency alert across the entire military, which is why they intentionally did not wake me up."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.