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Four Israeli opposition leaders demanded a state commission of inquiry Tuesday after Haaretz reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an explicit warning from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about Hamas's plans shortly before the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks but failed to inform Israel's security chiefs.
Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan issued a joint statement saying Israelis deserve to know what happened before, during and after Oct. 7.
"Netanyahu, enough with the lies; the Israeli public deserves to know: What did you know, and when did you know?" the four said in a statement posted on Eisenkot's account on the social media platform X.
According to the report, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a roughly 45-minute phone conversation with Netanyahu about a week and a half before Oct. 7, warning him that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel and expressing concern it could lead to bloodshed and regional destabilization.
The report, part of an investigation conducted for a forthcoming book by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval and based on dozens of Israeli and foreign sources along with recordings, internal documents and correspondence, said Netanyahu responded that he believed Hamas intended to act in the occupied West Bank and assured bin Zayed that Israel was prepared for any scenario.
Despite the warning, Netanyahu did not brief the heads of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, the Mossad intelligence agency or the Israeli army's chief of staff about the conversation, according to the report.
A senior Shin Bet official cited by Haaretz said that knowing about the warning "could have changed our entire assessment picture."
It was also reported that bin Zayed later told then-CIA Director William Burns about his concerns and the message he had delivered to Netanyahu that "something there is about to explode."
The report said the UAE warning was not the first indication Israeli authorities received about Hamas's plans. A Palestinian intermediary reportedly conveyed a message from Sinwar in September 2023 describing preparations for a "huge surprise" and an "earthquake," which was passed to the Shin Bet on Sept. 15 and prompted then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to brief Netanyahu, leading to subsequent security discussions.
Haaretz also cited a similar warning allegedly delivered to Netanyahu's office by then-Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel about "something unusual" being prepared by Hamas.
Former Shin Bet chief Bar and former Israeli army chief Herzl Halevi said they were not informed of the warning allegedly delivered by bin Zayed, according to the Israeli media outlet.
Netanyahu's office rejected the report as an "absolute lie," saying the prime minister did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question and received no such warning.
The four opposition leaders said the report required an "immediate and thorough investigation," arguing it added to previous revelations about Netanyahu's conduct surrounding Oct. 7.
"While Netanyahu and his people spread false conspiracy theories and try to place responsibility on the security establishment, it is becoming clear once again that serious warnings reached him directly and he ignored them," the statement said, accusing Netanyahu of "extreme negligence" in carrying out his duties as prime minister.
"The Israeli public deserves to know: What did Netanyahu know, when did he know, why did he not update the security establishment, and why did he not act to protect Israeli citizens?" they added.
The four pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry immediately if they form the next government, saying it would investigate the failures that led to Oct. 7. They said Netanyahu and his government partners were "unfit to continue in office" and pledged to work together to prevent them from "leading to another disaster."
Separately, Bennett said on X that the Haaretz report was "true," accusing Netanyahu of "criminal negligence" for failing to act on the warnings.
"Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility for the failure that led to the deaths of thousands of Israelis on his watch," Bennett said.
Eisenkot, a former Israeli army chief, made similar accusations.
"Netanyahu received dozens of warnings ahead of Oct. 7 and ignored them all. He is unfit," he said.
On Oct. 8, 2023, the Israeli army launched an offensive on Gaza that has killed more than 73,000 people, injured over 174,000, and destroyed much of the territory's civilian infrastructure, according to Palestinian figures.
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