Netanyahu Faces Growing Criticism After UAE Warning About the Oct. 7 Hamas Assault

Israeli opposition figures raised their voices on Tuesday, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu step down. Their outcry follows a revelation that the United Arab Emirates may have alerted Israel to an imminent Hamas operation just ten days before the October 7, 2023 onslaught.

The claim comes from Haaretz, which published an excerpt of a forthcoming book by its own reporters. According to the excerpt, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE president, spoke with Netanyahu in mid‑September and warned that Hamas was gearing up for a “major operation.”

While the exact content of the conversation remains unclear, the timing is striking. The alleged warning arrived less than two weeks before Hamas gunmen stormed southern Israel, killing civilians, taking hostages and plunging the region into a new war.

Opposition leaders seized on the report, branding Netanyahu “unfit to serve” and accusing him of either ignoring or downplaying the intelligence. “If the prime minister had acted on that warning, perhaps the tragedy could have been averted,” one parliamentarian said, his voice shaking with frustration.

Netanyahu’s office has yet to comment publicly, but insiders suggest the administration is reviewing the details. Some analysts argue that even if the warning was real, Israel’s intelligence apparatus already knew Hamas was planning something, albeit without specifics.

The story adds another layer to an already volatile political landscape. Recent weeks have seen massive street protests, coalition wrangling, and intense scrutiny over the government’s handling of the conflict with Hamas.

Meanwhile, the UAE has not responded to requests for comment, leaving observers to wonder how the alleged warning fits into the broader web of regional diplomacy and security cooperation.

As the debate intensifies, the question hanging over the Knesset is not just about one conversation, but about whether the Israeli leadership can regain public trust amid a war that shows few signs of abating.