Several prominent representatives of the Israeli opposition today sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a journalistic investigation claimed that he was informed of a planned attack by “Hamas“ a few days before October 7, 2023, but did not pass on the information, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
According to an investigation published by the leftist Israeli daily “Haaretz“ and based on information in a forthcoming book, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan contacted Netanyahu in the last week of September 2023 to inform him that the Palestinian movement was preparing a large-scale operation. According to the publication, the Israeli leader did not inform the heads of the security services of this warning.
Netanyahu's cabinet described the claim as a “complete lie“, even denying that there was a conversation between him and the UAE president in late September 2023.
The publication of the investigation has triggered a barrage of criticism from the main opposition leaders, who, on the eve of the parliamentary elections in Israel on October 27, are intensifying their attacks on the way the prime minister managed the crisis three years ago.
“Netanyahu received dozens of warnings about October 7 and ignored them all. He is not capable“ of governing, said his main rival, former Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot, in Aix. He accused Benjamin Netanyahu for using "pathetic" excuses to absolve himself of responsibility. In recent weeks, the prime minister has repeatedly stated that those around him were late in waking him up on the morning of October 7, 2023.
“Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility“, said former prime minister Naftali Bennett. He wrote in Ex that Netanyahu “cannot continue to hold office for another minute“.
The leader of the “Democrats“ party, Yair Golan, who also comes from the military leadership, sent a sharp message to Benjamin Netanyahu in a video posted on social media. “Netanyahu, you are putting Israel in danger, you are leading us to a catastrophe. (...) The stories like “nobody woke me up“ are over. You knew, you ignored the warning, you fail, you are responsible.“
The Israeli opposition has been pushing for months for an independent inquiry commission, whose members would be appointed by the Supreme Court - something Netanyahu opposes.
The “Hamar“ article claims that “Hamas“ leader Yahya Sinwar, who was later killed by Israel, told a mediator from the Palestinian “Fatah“ movement that a “terrifying operation“, comparable to an “earthquake“, was being prepared. This information probably then reached the UAE leader. At the time, Israeli authorities were seeking to maintain the status quo in Gaza, convinced that “Hamas“ preferred to avoid a large-scale conflict with Israel in order to ensure its own survival. According to Israeli security services, it is this misconception that largely explains why the Israeli armed forces were surprised by the attack on October 7, 2023.
During this attack, which represents one of the greatest traumas in Israeli history, 1,221 people were killed, according to Agence France-Presse, which is based on official Israeli figures.
The Israeli offensive launched in response to the attack devastated the Gaza Strip and led to the deaths of 73,658 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by “Hamas“. The ministry's figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.