Haaretz said Wednesday it stands behind its investigation that alleged UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack ten days before the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. The statement comes after Netanyahu instructed his lawyers to file a defamation suit against the newspaper. i24NEWS reported that, according to sources, the Biden administration had no concrete advance warning from the UAE, adding further dispute to the Haaretz account.
Haaretz announced Wednesday it stands behind its investigation that alleged UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending Hamas attack ten days before the October 7, 2023, massacre. The statement from the left-leaning daily comes after Netanyahu instructed his lawyers earlier today at 10:17 Jerusalem to file a defamation suit against the newspaper, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others over the report.
The dispute escalated rapidly since the investigation was published Tuesday morning at 10:25 Jerusalem. The Prime Minister’s Office immediately dismissed the report as an "absolute lie," and UAE sources declined to confirm or deny it Tuesday evening, citing the confidentiality of "personal conversations" of the president. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Tuesday afternoon that Netanyahu ignored warnings from the UAE, Egypt, and security chiefs. On Wednesday at 09:18 Jerusalem, as The Zioneer reported, i24NEWS cited sources saying the Biden administration had no concrete advance warning from the UAE before the massacre, calling the Haaretz account into question. Less than an hour later, at 10:17 Jerusalem, Netanyahu formally instructed his lawyers to pursue legal action. Haaretz later responded with its statement of support for the investigation.
The core factual claim—that bin Zayed called Netanyahu with a specific warning, and that Netanyahu concealed it—remains unverified. No direct confirmation from UAE sources has been provided. Netanyahu’s office says a review of call logs found no evidence. The legal and political fallout continues, with the defamation suit now proceeding.
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