Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned that Hamas was preparing a major attack days before October 7, but chose to keep the information private and inform Israel’s security agencies, Haaretz reported on Tuesday.
According to the Israeli newspaper, Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu roughly 10 days before the assault and told him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation that would cause bloodshed and destabilize the region.
Netanyahu reportedly played down the threat, saying he believed Hamas was more likely to act in the West Bank and that Israel was prepared.
Netanyahu has long faced criticism for quietly funneling Qatari money to Hamas over the course of years. Detractors argue that he deliberately propped up the group for political gain, using its presence as a convenient public justification for launching bloody military campaigns in the region.
Haaretz previously reported that Sinwar had sent messages through Palestinian intermediaries warning that he was preparing an “earthquake.” The message reportedly reached Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, whose then-chief Ronen Bar briefed Netanyahu. Egyptian intelligence was also reported to have warned Israel shortly before the attack.
RT report: Israeli intelligence had separately obtained a Hamas battle plan known as ‘Jericho Wall’, outlining a cross-border assault, attacks on military positions and hostage-taking. The New York Times later reported that the document closely resembled the October 7 operation. Israeli officials have disputed how seriously the plan was taken and whether it was considered an imminent threat.
Questions have also been raised over Israel’s military response on October 7. Investigations have suggested that the so-called ‘Hannibal Directive’, which permits extreme measures to prevent the capture of soldiers, may have contributed to Israeli civilian deaths as forces struck vehicles and other locations where hostages or civilians may have been present.
Around 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack and 251 were taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 73,600 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.