Israel’s Netanyahu to sue newspaper over claim UAE warned him of 7 October attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed lawyers to launch defamation proceedings against Haaretz over a report claiming the UAE president warned him days before the 7 October 2023 attacks that Hamas was planning a major operation. Netanyahu's office has denied any such warning was given, branding the report a "sinister plot", while Haaretz has stood by its journalism and rejected the legal threat as an attempt to silence criticism. The row is significant because it comes just weeks before Israel's 27 October general election, widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership, and feeds long-standing accusations that he failed to act on intelligence before the attack.
The Haaretz report, drawn from a forthcoming book, cited sources describing a secure phone call in late September 2023 in which Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan allegedly told Netanyahu that Hamas's Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar was preparing an "earthquake" operation; Netanyahu reportedly responded calmly, believing any action would target the West Bank, and did not brief Israel's Shin Bet, Mossad or military chief of staff. The 7 October attacks killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, triggering an Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has since killed at least 73,670 people, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures regarded as reliable by the UN. The story broke the same day the UK announced sanctions on illegal West Bank settlements, prompting Israeli retaliatory measures including closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem, though the Haaretz report dominated domestic coverage.
In short
- Netanyahu to sue Haaretz over claim UAE warned him before 7 October attack
- His office denies any warning was given, calls report a "plot"
- Dispute erupts weeks before Israel's 27 October election
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If the UAE warning was given and Netanyahu dismissed it without alerting Israel’s security services, the public has a strong interest in scrutiny of his decisions before the attacks. Haaretz can argue that publishing a well-sourced account serves accountability, particularly during an election, and that a defamation threat risks deterring reporting on matters of public concern.
The case against
Netanyahu can argue that the report makes a grave and damaging claim about his conduct, and that seeking legal redress is appropriate if it is false or inadequately verified. The alleged call is described through sources in a forthcoming book, so the account’s accuracy and context merit examination; the election timing does not remove his right to challenge it.
Explained simply
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing renewed questions about what he knew before Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack. Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement that governs Gaza; the attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to a prolonged Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
The dispute centres on an alleged call from the United Arab Emirates’ president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to Netanyahu shortly before the attack. The UAE is an Arab state with diplomatic ties to Israel. Netanyahu’s office denies he received a warning, while Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper behind the report, says it stands by its account.
The issue matters because the attack and Israel’s response have brought scrutiny of the government’s security decisions and Netanyahu’s leadership. The dispute is also unfolding ahead of an Israeli election, making public confidence in his handling of the attack a significant political issue.