Netanyahu accused of ignoring warnings before October 7

Sep 30, 2026

Reports that Netanyahu was warned about the October 7 attack and did nothing are now the central issue in Israel's election — bad news for his coalition, good for an opposition promising a full investigation.

  • The UAE's president reportedly phoned Netanyahu 10 days before the attack to warn that Hamas was planning something big enough to shake the whole region.
  • Egypt is said to have passed along three separate warnings, the last by phone to Netanyahu days before the attack.
  • Netanyahu calls it all a lie and a left-wing campaign, and is suing newspapers and journalists over the stories.
  • Israel's spy agencies had a captured Hamas invasion plan more than a year earlier but dismissed it as fantasy, and the army prepared for about 70 attackers instead of thousands.
  • Three years on there is still no state inquiry, which most Israelis want and which Netanyahu has blocked.

Outlook: The October 27 vote will decide it — the opposition says an inquiry is its first act in office, while a Netanyahu win likely buries one for good.

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