Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid (Yachad) said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was repeatedly warned before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack — by the UAE president, Egypt, and Israel's top security chiefs — but dismissed the warnings. 'If Netanyahu had done his job, the massacre would have been prevented,' Lapid said, according to Yediot News 25 and N12 reports.
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid (Yachad) escalated his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, asserting that Netanyahu received explicit warnings from the UAE president, Egypt, and Israel's top security officials in the weeks and days before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack — but dismissed them.
Lapid's remarks came in response to a Haaretz investigation published Tuesday claiming that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu ten days before the massacre to warn of an imminent Hamas operation. The Prime Minister's Office has denied the report as an 'absolute lie.'
Speaking to reporters, Lapid said he himself had publicly warned Netanyahu on Sept. 20, 2023, three weeks before the attack. 'His only response was to go on Channel 14 and say there was nothing to worry about,' Lapid said.
UAE sources have since declined to confirm or deny the alleged call. On Wednesday, i24NEWS reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the Biden administration was unaware of any concrete advance warning from the UAE.
Lapid's comments represent the most direct accusation by an Israeli political figure that Netanyahu bore personal responsibility for the Oct. 7 security failure.
3 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu: 'I immediately understood it was a war' — his account of October 7 morning
- DevelopingNetanyahu claims defense officials 'deliberately' failed to wake him on Oct. 7 morning
- StrongErdan: Third of Likud Faction Sought to Oust Netanyahu After Oct. 7
- DevelopingReport details pre-Oct. 7 failures: Egyptian warning misinterpreted, Netanyahu did not share UAE call
Source and signal
- Open-source intake