Haaretz claims Netanyahu was warned Hamas were plotting a major attack in the weeks before October 7 but did not act. AFP
Haaretz claims Netanyahu was warned Hamas were plotting a major attack in the weeks before October 7 but did not act. AFP

UAE responds to media report that claims Israel was warned of October 7 attack


The UAE has responded to an article in an Israeli news outlet that claimed Abu Dhabi warned Israel of an imminent Hamas attack in the weeks before October 7.

Haaretz claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned by senior Emirati leadership but did not act.

The news outlet released its investigation as a fevered election campaign gets under way, and Netanyahu fights for his political future.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the UAE government "does not comment on reports or speculations published in the media regarding conversations between government leaders".

"Since October 7, the efforts of the United Arab Emirates have focused on de-escalation, enhancing regional stability, and limiting violence," it said.

"Moreover, the governmental entities in both the United Arab Emirates and Israel have maintained open and direct channels of communication since the establishment of relations between the two countries more than five years ago. When necessary, all relevant intelligence information continues to be exchanged between the concerned parties."

Israeli media have previously said Egyptian officials also warned Netanyahu's government an attack was imminent. A debate has since raged in Israel about weak border security and whether its security services were briefed on such warnings.

The cross-border Hamas attack on October 7 left 1,200 people dead, most of them Israelis. A further 250 were abducted and taken to Gaza. The Israeli invasion that followed left more than 73,000 Gazans dead and reduced the territory to rubble. Israel has been accused of war crimes, which it denies.

The conflict was followed by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which plunged the region into further turmoil.

Updated: September 08, 2026, 6:12 PM