Netanyahu to sue Haaretz for reporting that he received warning from UAE before Oct. 7 attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a warning letter on Wednesday ahead of a libel suit against Israeli newspaper Haaretz, after it reported that UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed warned him about a major Hamas attack a week and a half before Oct. 7, 2023.

Haaretz, known for its critical positions toward the Netanyahu government, said it stands by its reporting. It had published the report on Tuesday, which read that Netanyahu did not inform the security establishment of his 45-minute phone call with Bin Zayed.

In a post on X, Netanyahu said his office, the national security council and his military secretary reviewed his call logs and found no evidence such a conversation took place. "Contrary to the claims, from the beginning of September until Oct. 7, no conversation took place between the prime minister and the president of the United Arab Emirates," Netanyahu said.

Meanwhile, the UAE's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the Emirati government does not comment on reports regarding conversations between leaders. Still, it noted that the UAE and Israeli government entities have maintained open and direct lines of communication for the past five years.

The UAE normalized ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords during President Donald Trump's first administration.

Netanyahu also denied reports that Egypt's intelligence chief, Gen. Abbas Kamel, warned him of an imminent Hamas operation, saying it was "a claim that was already debunked at the beginning of the war." Details of Kamel's conversation with Netanyahu were first reported by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth two days after the attack.

"All this proves that we are dealing with a malicious fabrication with clear political timing," Netanyahu wrote, saying the report was part of the "left's election campaign." Netanyahu said the report was a distraction, blaming former security chiefs Ronen Bar and Herzl Halevi for not informing him in time, despite receiving indications "many hours before the start of the attack."

Israeli elections are set to take place on Oct. 27, with Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander, emerging as Netanyahu's top rival. In this context, following the Haaretz report, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of evading responsibility for security lapses and resorting to "pathetic" excuses, such as saying he was not woken up soon enough on the morning of the attack.

Other opposition leaders also criticized Netanyahu after the report. Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister also running in the elections, said Netanyahu "bears personal and direct responsibility" for the deaths on Oct. 7. "Netanyahu cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute," he added.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas' operation killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. The militants also dragged some 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of them already dead. The Israeli war on Gaza that followed left most of Gaza in ruins and killed more than 73,650 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.