Netanyahu warned before October 7 attack, new Israeli reporting says

Sep 09, 2026

New reporting in Israel says Netanyahu got a direct warning that Hamas was planning a major attack and sat on it — devastating for his political survival and for families of the victims.

  • Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar sent word through a go-between that he was preparing an "earthquake" if a long-negotiated truce deal was not signed.
  • The message reached the UAE's ruler, who called Netanyahu personally about ten days before October 7; Netanyahu reportedly did not pass it to Israel's security chiefs and said he was more worried about the West Bank.
  • The same warning went to then-CIA director William Burns, and Israel already had a captured copy of the Hamas attack plan.
  • After the attack, Hamas offered through Qatar to hand back civilian hostages for nothing, and Israel refused, with the message back being that Netanyahu only wanted war.
  • The UAE has broadly confirmed the account; Netanyahu denies it, and Israeli officials blame shock and confusion in the first days.

Outlook: The claims land as Israel heads toward elections and faces European trade bans over the West Bank, turning Netanyahu's handling of October 7 into his biggest political liability.

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