UAE sources decline to confirm or deny reports of pre-Oct. 7 warning call to Netanyahu

The diplomatic silence from Abu Dhabi follows a Tuesday morning investigation by Haaretz, which alleged that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) personally warned Prime Minister Netanyahu of a major operation planned by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. According to the report, this high-level intelligence was shared approximately ten days before the October 7 massacre but was not relayed to Israel's security chiefs. The Prime Minister’s Office has dismissed the report as an "absolute lie."

Strategic Ambiguity

Emirati sources emphasized that they do not comment on the private communications of the President, effectively refusing to provide the explicit denial sought by Israeli officials. Reports on Tuesday indicated that Netanyahu's office had expected a formal denial from the UAE to help neutralize the domestic political fallout. The refusal to do so leaves the competing accounts unverified. Some regional sources and Palestinian figures have suggested that the leak may have originated from Mohammed Dahlan, the former Fatah security chief in Gaza who now serves as a senior advisor to MBZ.

Political Context in Israel

The report has intensified the ongoing friction between the Prime Minister and the security establishment. As The Zioneer reported earlier today, figures such as Gadi Eisenkot have used the allegations to sharpen their criticism of Netanyahu’s fitness for office, demanding a state commission of inquiry. This development follows previous claims by the Prime Minister that defense officials "deliberately" failed to wake him on the morning of the attack, highlighting a deep and public rift over the responsibility for the intelligence failures surrounding the disaster. While the UAE remains a critical strategic partner in the regional architecture against Iran, this incident underscores the sensitive intersection of diplomatic ties and internal Israeli accountability.