Calls for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign have intensified after a report suggested that he was warned by the United Arab Emirates about an impending Hamas operation prior to the October 7, 2023, attack. The report alleges that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed Netanyahu of a planned major operation by Hamas about a week and a half before it occurred. However, Netanyahu’s office has refuted these claims, labeling the report as false and stating that no such conversation took place.
The allegations have fueled criticism of Netanyahu, particularly regarding security lapses related to the October 7 attack. Gadi Eisenkot, an opposition leader, accused Netanyahu of disregarding repeated warnings, while former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted that Netanyahu is directly responsible and should step down. According to the report, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had previously described the operation as an “earthquake,” and the warning was purportedly conveyed through a former Palestinian official and an Emirati adviser before reaching UAE leadership.
The UAE, which established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020 through the US-brokered Abraham Accords, reportedly communicated the warning to Netanyahu. The normalization of relations with the UAE has been considered a significant foreign policy triumph for Netanyahu.
The attack on October 7 led to the deaths of 1,221 people in southern Israel and resulted in 251 individuals being taken hostage, as per Israeli records. In response, Israel initiated a military campaign in Gaza, where the Gaza Health Ministry reports over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, causing extensive destruction across the territory.