
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to Abu Dhabi on September 27, amid media reports that the United Arab Emirates had warned Israel about Hamas' preparations for the October 7 attack.
According to an investigation published by Haaretz, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), the president of the United Arab Emirates, called Netanyahu about 10 days before the attack. According to the report, he warned him that Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, was planning what he described as an “earthquake.”
The report claims that Netanyahu responded that Israel was prepared, but that the warning was not subsequently conveyed to the leaders of Israeli security institutions.
Netanyahu has categorically denied these allegations, calling them “an absolute lie.” He has also stated that he intends to take legal action against Haaretz.
On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates has disputed the version that such warnings were given directly at the level of political leaders. Abu Dhabi has stated that intelligence information is exchanged through "professional structures, not at the level of national leaders."
According to reports, Netanyahu traveled by private jet from Ben Gurion Airport to Abu Dhabi, where he stayed for about four hours, before returning to Israel that same evening.
The claims about the alleged warning and how it was handled remain disputed by the parties, while Netanyahu's visit to Abu Dhabi took place in secret.