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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his intention to initiate a defamation lawsuit against the prominent Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, following the publication of an explosive report claiming he received advance intelligence regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. The prime minister forcefully rejected the narrative, characterizing the media outlet’s allegations as entirely untrue and deliberately manufactured to damage his political standing.
The legal action will directly target both the newspaper itself and the two journalists who authored the controversial report, Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yaval. In a public statement released on social media platform X, Netanyahu confirmed that he had instructed his legal team to prepare proceedings, emphasizing that the claims regarding his prior knowledge of the assault had no basis in reality.
According to the report published by Haaretz, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, commonly known as MBZ, directly notified the Israeli prime minister about a potential offensive by Hamas approximately ten days before the cross-border operation occurred. The article detailed an alleged sequence of diplomatic and intelligence communications aimed at alerting Israeli security officials to an impending military escalation.
The reporting detailed that the intelligence originated from communications involving then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Haaretz claimed that Sinwar had grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in indirect prisoner exchange negotiations, as well as the ongoing blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, prompting him to transmit a message through an intermediary to Emirati authorities.
In this relayed communication, Sinwar reportedly stated that his group was preparing a major operation, describing it as a massive surprise and cautioning contacts to tell the Israeli establishment to brace for an earthquake. According to the newspaper, officials in the UAE interpreted these ominous remarks not as routine rhetoric, but as a credible signal of an imminent, large-scale armed offensive.
The article outlined that Emirati authorities initially forwarded this critical intelligence assessment directly to Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet. However, according to the published claims, the Israeli security apparatus reviewed the material and ultimately dismissed the possibility of an impending coordinated attack.
Following the initial dismissal by the security establishment, the report asserted that the Emirati president escalated the issue by placing a personal phone call to Netanyahu to convey the warning directly. Haaretz claimed that the Israeli prime minister similarly brushed aside the alert, taking no significant preemptive action prior to the breach of the border.
The events of October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of at least 1,195 people in southern Israel, while approximately 251 others were taken captive into the Gaza Strip. The assault initiated an extensive and devastating Israeli military offensive across the Palestinian enclave, which has since killed at least 73,669 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction.
In his rebuttal, Netanyahu categorically rejected the claim that any such high-level phone discussion with the UAE leader ever took place. He stated that official state bodies had conducted a thorough review of the prime minister's communications, confirming that neither the National Security Council nor the Military Secretary found any log or documentation corresponding to the alleged call during that timeframe.
Netanyahu went on to denounce the newspaper’s coverage as politically motivated disinformation designed to erode his public support. He framed the reporting as an organized effort tied to the left-wing political campaign ahead of Israel’s upcoming national elections.
The political stakes surrounding the allegations are particularly high as Israel prepares for Knesset elections scheduled for October. Netanyahu faces considerable domestic political pressure and is currently trailing behind in opinion polling, where he confronts a significant electoral challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
In addition to challenging the journalists, Netanyahu alleged that the underlying narrative was planted by Muhammad Dahlan, a prominent Palestinian political figure currently residing in the United Arab Emirates. The prime minister publicly blamed Dahlan for orchestrating what he described as a completely fabricated storyline.
Dahlan, who was once a leading security official within the Palestinian Authority, was officially expelled from the ruling Fatah faction in 2011 following an intense political rivalry and power struggle with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Since his departure from the occupied West Bank, Dahlan has established his base of operations in the Gulf nation.
Representatives acting on behalf of Dahlan have firmly rejected Netanyahu’s accusations, denying any involvement in providing or generating the claims detailed in the Haaretz report, according to Israeli media coverage.
Meanwhile, official diplomatic channels in Abu Dhabi have declined to validate or address the substance of the reporting. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a brief public statement noting that the Emirati government adheres to a strict policy of not issuing commentary on media narratives or unverified speculation concerning private conversations between heads of state.
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