Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to sue the Haaretz newspaper following its report that he was warned of Hamas's plans for an offensive days before the October 7, 2023 attacks. In a statement on X, Netanyahu described the report as 'fabricated' and 'false,' and indicated that he has instructed his lawyers to pursue legal action against Haaretz and the report's authors, Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yaval.
The Haaretz report, published on Tuesday, alleged that the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ), had warned Netanyahu about a potential Hamas attack ten days prior to the events of October 7. On that day, Palestinian fighters killed at least 1,195 people in southern Israel and took approximately 251 others captive, leading to a significant military response from Israel in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 73,669 Palestinians.
According to the report, MBZ communicated with Netanyahu by phone to convey a warning about a threat from then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The report stated that Sinwar, frustrated by stalled prisoner exchange negotiations and Israel's blockade of Gaza, had relayed warnings through an intermediary, suggesting a 'huge surprise' was forthcoming and advising Israel to 'expect an earthquake.'
Haaretz claimed that MBZ and his aides interpreted this as an indication of an imminent full-scale attack and passed the intelligence to Israel's Shin Bet agency, which reportedly dismissed the threat. The report further stated that MBZ raised the warning directly with Netanyahu, who also disregarded it.
The UAE has not commented on the allegations, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that it does not discuss media stories or speculation regarding conversations between government leaders. The report emerges as Netanyahu seeks to solidify his position ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections in October, where he is currently trailing in the polls against former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
Netanyahu characterized the Haaretz report as 'politically motivated' and part of a 'left's election campaign,' denying any phone call with MBZ. He mentioned that the National Security Council and the Military Secretary reviewed his call log for those days and found no record of such a call. Additionally, Netanyahu claimed that the source of the 'false report' was Palestinian political figure Muhammad Dahlan, who was expelled from the Fatah party in 2011 and resides in the UAE. Dahlan's representatives have denied this claim, according to Israeli media.