Netanyahu Warned? Intelligence Fallout | US News

0:00It's September 8th. This is U.S. News Today, AI-powered story shaping the nation. I'm Cory with the story. So there's a report out from the Israeli newspaper, Harretz, claiming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned by the UAE President, Mohammad Bin Zayed, about a potential Hamas attack before October 7th. The report suggests bin Zayed was worried about regional instability and the Abraham Accords if something like this went down. Netanyahu's office is pushing back hard, calling the whole thing an absolute lie, and saying the conversation never happened. They're also denying he spoke with bin Zayed around that time, or received any such warning. This whole situation is bringing up a lot of old wounds, especially with the election coming up. Netanyahu's political rivals are definitely using this report to criticize his leadership, and question his handling of security leading up to the attack. Harretz says their reporting is based on extensive research, including interviews and documents.

1:00The report also touches on an earlier warning allegedly relayed through a Palestinian intermediary about Hamas leader Sinwar, threatening an earthquake. Regardless of the specifics, the allegations are reigniting the debate about intelligence failures before the October 7th attack, where around 1200 people were killed and over 200 taken hostage. It's a heavy topic with a lot of political fallout.