Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected claims he ignored warnings that could have prevented the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, as polls and prediction markets have forecast he faces a bruising election next month. Excerpts from a book, which were published by the newspaper Haaretz, described how Netanyahu had been told by Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the Palestinian militants were planning a major operation. After the release of the book’s revelations on Tuesday, Netanyahu’s chances of remaining prime minister after the election on October 27 slipped from 30 percent to 28 percent, according to the platform Polymarket.
They had dipped to as low as 25 percent on August 28, while rival Gadi Eizenkot is at 57 percent. Eisenkot’s Yashar is favorite to become Israel's largest party, according to recent polling. Netanyahu's Likud has been forecast to lose up to a third of its seats in some polls, yet he could remain prime minister if he is able to form a coalition that gives him the support of 61 lawmakers.
The warning came days before the attacks which killed about 1,200 people, while a further 251 were taken hostage, according to the paper. Israel responded with a military operation in Gaza, which is believed to have killed more than 80,000 people in the territory. Journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval write in the book Kidnapped: 843 Days of Abandonment, that during a 45-minute conversation a week and a half before October 7, “bin Zayed told Netanyahu that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, was planning a major operation against Israel.” “The Emir expressed concern that such an event would not only result in bloodshed but would also shake the entire region,” the excerpt added.
Netanyahu is said to have told Emir that he believed Hamas intended to operate in the West Bank and that Israel was prepared for any scenario. Netanyahu has rejected the claims, posting on X that his office, the national security council and his military secretary had reviewed his call logs and found no evidence the conversation took place. Netanyahu has sent a warning letter ahead of a libel suit against Haaretz and journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval over the claims, Haaretz reported.
This is a developing story to be updated.
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