The United Arab Emirates issued its first official response to reports of conversations between government leaders, stating that it does not respond to media reports or speculation, according to journalist Amit Segal (N12). The statement relates to weeks of reports regarding a purported warning call from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ten days before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The UAE had previously declined to confirm or deny those reports, as reported by The Zioneer.
The United Arab Emirates issued its first official response Tuesday evening to weeks of reports regarding a purported warning call from President Mohammed bin Zayed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. A UAE representative stated that the country does not respond to media reports or speculation, according to journalist Amit Segal (N12). The statement follows days of back-and-forth in which UAE sources had declined to confirm or deny the claim and the Prime Minister's Office had denied receiving any such warning.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon (15:15 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that the Prime Minister's Office expected the UAE to formally deny the report amid Palestinian and Gulf sources estimating the story originated from Muhammad Dahlan, a former Palestinian Authority security chief now serving as an advisor to bin Zayed. Minutes later, UAE sources officially declined to confirm or deny the reports regarding what they termed 'personal conversations of the emir.' Shortly after, the Prime Minister's Office issued a definitive denial, stating no warning was given by the UAE before the attack.
The UAE's position of declining to engage with media reports leaves the matter without official confirmation or denial from Emirati leadership. The statement did not address the substance of the allegations, nor did it provide further elaboration. As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, UAE sources had maintained silence on the issue throughout the day.
The core question — whether bin Zayed placed a warning call to Netanyahu ten days before the October 7 massacre — remains unresolved, with the UAE officially declining to comment, the PMO denying it, and the original Haaretz investigation standing without corroboration or refutation from the UAE.
5 developments
Source and signal
- Open-source intake