Evidence

The claim originates from an investigative report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz (journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval), reportedly excerpted from a forthcoming book, alleging that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Netanyahu about ten days before October 7, 2023, and explicitly warned him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation. The story was widely picked up by France 24, Israel Hayom, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, CBC and CBS News. A follow-up Haaretz report cited the New York Times as having independently confirmed sources backing the account, and separately reported that Netanyahu allegedly asked the UAE leader to deny the story during a secret visit. However, Netanyahu's office has flatly denied the report, calling it 'an absolute lie,' stating a review of call logs and entry records found no trace of such a conversation or visit, and Netanyahu has reportedly threatened to sue Haaretz for defamation. The UAE Foreign Ministry has not confirmed or denied the specific call, saying only that it does not comment on 'media stories or speculation regarding conversations between government leaders' while asserting it shares 'all relevant intelligence' with Israel through normal channels. No independent fact-checking organization (Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo) verdict on this specific claim was found in available search results.