Jerusalem: Israeli opposition leaders on Tuesday called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unfit to remain in office following a report that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had warned him about a planned Hamas attack shortly before October 7, 2023.

The report, published by the newspaper Haaretz and excerpted from a forthcoming book by its reporters, claimed that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Netanyahu around a week and a half before the attack and warned him that Hamas was preparing a major operation.

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Netanyahu's office dismissed the report as an "absolute lie" and denied that he had spoken to the Emirati leader at the time.

Opposition accuses Netanyahu of ignoring warnings

Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander and a leading rival to Netanyahu in Israel's upcoming October 27 elections, accused the prime minister of avoiding responsibility for the security failures surrounding the attack.

"Netanyahu received dozens of warnings for October 7 and ignored them all. He is unfit," Eisenkot wrote on X.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is also contesting the election, said Netanyahu bears "personal and direct responsibility" for the deaths on October 7.

"Netanyahu cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute," Bennett said.

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Report details alleged UAE warning

According to Haaretz, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was later killed by Israel, had warned a former Palestinian official that the group was preparing a "terrifying operation", describing it as an "earthquake".

The official reportedly passed the warning to an Emirati adviser, who then conveyed it to Mohamed bin Zayed. The UAE president subsequently contacted Netanyahu, the newspaper reported.

The report, which relies largely on anonymous sources, said Netanyahu responded calmly to the warning.

Netanyahu's policy towards Hamas under scrutiny

The report has also brought renewed attention to Netanyahu's long-standing approach towards Hamas.

For years, Netanyahu sought to preserve the status quo with Hamas, with the group receiving funding through Qatar under an understanding that it was more focused on its own survival than on launching a devastating war against Israel.

The UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords during Donald Trump's first presidency. Netanyahu has described close ties with the UAE as a major achievement.
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October 7 attack and Gaza war

Hamas launched its October 7, 2023 attack by storming into southern Israel, killing people at communities and a music festival and taking hostages to Gaza.

The attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Hamas fighters also abducted around 251 people, 44 of whom are believed to have died.

Israel responded with a massive military offensive that has devastated large parts of Gaza. The Gaza health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, says 73,658 people have been killed. The United Nations considers the ministry's casualty figures broadly reliable.