JERUSALEM- Israeli opposition leaders have declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unfit to remain in office following a report that the United Arab Emirates warned him about a major Hamas operation days before the October 7, 2023 attack.
The report, published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, said UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Netanyahu about 10 days before the attack.
According to the newspaper, the Emirati leader warned Netanyahu that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation that could cause bloodshed, destabilise the region and undermine the Abraham Accords.
The report said Netanyahu reacted calmly and assured Mohamed bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario. He reportedly indicated that an attack was more likely to originate from the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu’s office rejected the report as an “absolute lie,” saying the prime minister did not speak to the UAE president during the period in question and received no warning from him.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said it does not comment on reported conversations between leaders but maintained that all relevant intelligence was shared through established channels.
Opposition leaders demand answers
Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of ignoring multiple warnings before the attack.
“Netanyahu received dozens of warnings for October 7 and ignored them all. He is unfit,” Eisenkot said.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Netanyahu bore “personal and direct responsibility” for the security failure that preceded the attack.
“Netanyahu cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute,” Bennett said.
Democrats leader Yair Golan accused the prime minister of endangering Israel and failing to act on information presented to him.
“You knew, you ignored, you failed, you are to blame,” Golan said.
The opposition leaders called for an independent state commission of inquiry to establish what Netanyahu knew before the attack, when he received the information and what measures he took.
“Why did he not inform the security establishment, and why did he not act to protect Israeli citizens?” they asked in a joint statement.
Netanyahu’s government has resisted demands for a state commission to investigate the political, military and intelligence failures surrounding the attack.
Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 others during the October 7 assault, triggering the Gaza war.
The controversy has emerged ahead of Israel’s national election, in which Netanyahu is seeking another term and his handling of the October 7 attack remains a central campaign issue.
