Israeli opposition leaders have intensified their calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation, following a report that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) warned him of a planned Hamas attack a week and a half before October 7, 2023. According to a report by Haaretz newspaper, excerpted from a forthcoming book, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed Netanyahu of Hamas's intentions. Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the report, labeling it 'an absolute lie' and asserting that no such conversation took place.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander and Netanyahu's top rival in the upcoming October 27 elections, accused the prime minister of evading responsibility for security lapses. Eisenkot stated on X, 'Netanyahu received dozens of warnings for October 7 and ignored them all. He is unfit.' Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister also running in the elections, echoed these sentiments, asserting that Netanyahu 'bears personal and direct responsibility' for the deaths on October 7, the deadliest attack in Israeli history. Bennett demanded that Netanyahu 'cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute.'
The Haaretz report detailed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was later killed by Israel, had warned a former Palestinian official of a 'terrifying operation' he described as an 'earthquake.' This message was relayed to an Emirati advisor, who then informed the Emirati leader, resulting in the call to Netanyahu. The newspaper noted that Netanyahu, according to mostly anonymous sources, responded calmly to the warning. For years, Netanyahu had sought to maintain the status quo with Hamas, allowing the group to receive funding via Qatar under the understanding that Hamas was more interested in self-preservation than a devastating war with Israel.
The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in a rampage that included mass killings at a music festival, leaving 1,221 people dead according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. The militants also took some 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of whom were already dead. In response, Israel launched a massive offensive that has left most of Gaza in ruins and killed 73,658 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The UAE normalized ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords under President Donald Trump's first administration. Netanyahu views close ties with the UAE as a significant achievement. However, the recent report has reignited debates about Netanyahu's leadership and his handling of national security, with opposition leaders arguing that his continued service poses a threat to Israel's safety and stability.
