Netanyahu Takes Haaretz to Court Over Report of Pre-Oct. 7 Hamas Warning
TEL AVIV – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suing the newspaper Haaretz over a report alleging that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed warned him of an impending Hamas attack days before October 7, 2023.
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Haaretz reported that bin Zayed spoke to Netanyahu approximately 10 days before the assault and cautioned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation capable of destabilising the region.
Netanyahu has categorically rejected the account. He said he did not speak with the UAE president during that period and received no warning of the kind described in the report. His office called the story false and politically motivated.
The prime minister accused Haaretz and the journalists involved of publishing fabricated allegations and said he would seek damages in a defamation case.
Haaretz has defended its reporting, saying it was based on multiple sources and material referenced by its journalists. The UAE has not verified that the conversation took place, saying it does not comment on speculation surrounding discussions between government leaders.
The legal dispute has revived a broader Israeli debate over whether Netanyahu and the country’s security establishment were alerted to the threat before Hamas launched its October 7 attack. Israeli authorities say the assault killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 others being taken hostage.
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