Reports Raise Questions Over Alleged Warnings Before Hamas Attack

Several reports have alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other Israeli authorities received warnings about a major Hamas operation before the 7 October 2023 attack.

The accounts, reported separately by The New York Times, Haaretz and The Atlantic, have renewed political pressure on Netanyahu as Israel’s parliamentary election campaign entered a crucial period.

Reports describe separate warnings

The New York Times reported information that it said confirmed an account by Haaretz involving United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed. According to the reported account, bin Zayed secretly alerted Netanyahu to an impending Hamas offensive.

The allegation appeared in the book Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment. Haaretz journalists involved with the book said it was based on information from dozens of sources in Israel and elsewhere, including very senior officials. The reported account further alleged that Netanyahu did not pass the warning to Israeli security officials.

The Atlantic reported a separate account involving Egypt’s intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel. It said Kamel secretly visited Israel 11 days before the attack to warn of a significant Hamas offensive. The supplied account does not provide further details about the timing or content of that warning.

Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also told Israeli Army Radio that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had allegedly sent a warning through a former senior Fatah official to Israel’s Shin Bet security agency. Gallant said Sinwar had indicated that he would “shake the prisons.”

Netanyahu rejects allegations

Netanyahu denied that he had been warned about an impending attack before it happened. He described the allegations as “an absolute lie.”

The reports have added to demands for accountability over the events surrounding 7 October. Israeli opposition leaders described Netanyahu as “unfit” for office and called for an official government inquiry.

Netanyahu has rejected those calls for an inquiry. The supplied reports do not establish whether a government investigation was later opened.

The alleged warnings and their handling remain contested. The identity of the former senior Fatah official cited in Gallant’s account has not been disclosed, while the exact date of the alleged warning attributed to bin Zayed is not provided.