Netanyahu denies he was warned by UAE about the October 7 attacks

A newspaper report claims the Israeli Prime Minister failed to brief security chiefs

A report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz has claimed that the United Arab Emirates warned Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the October 7th Hamas attacks in 2023.

Haaretz’s report, which is based on a new book by its reporters, said UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Netanyahu a week and a half before the attack and told him that Hamas was planning an operation.

Netanyahu’s office has called the Haaretz newspaper report “an absolute lie”

Gadi Eisenkot, a rival to Netanyahu in upcoming Israeli elections, has accused the Israeli prime minister of evading responsibility for security lapses.

“Netanyahu received dozens of warnings for 7 October and ignored them all. He is unfit,” Mr Eisenkot wrote on social media platform X.

Israelis are due to go to the polls in a general election at the end of October.