Renewed calls for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation have emerged from opposition leaders after a report surfaced, alleging that he was forewarned by the United Arab Emirates about a Hamas plan just before the attack on October 7, 2023. The report suggests that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan communicated with Netanyahu roughly ten days prior to the assault, cautioning him about intelligence indicating Hamas was preparing a significant operation. However, Netanyahu’s office has refuted these claims, branding the report as false and asserting that no such conversation occurred.
The accusations have intensified the scrutiny on Netanyahu regarding the security lapses associated with the October 7 incident. Gadi Eisenkot, an opposition leader, has criticized Netanyahu for allegedly disregarding repeated warnings. In a similar vein, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has stated that Netanyahu should be held directly accountable and should step down from his position. According to the report, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had previously referred to the planned operation as an “earthquake,” with the warning allegedly traveling through a former Palestinian official and an Emirati adviser before reaching the UAE leadership.
The UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, a development Netanyahu has hailed as a significant achievement in foreign policy. The cooperative ties between the two nations are now under the spotlight in the wake of the alleged warning and subsequent attack.
The attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,221 individuals in southern Israel and the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing conflict, with substantial destruction across the territory.