Israeli Intelligence Warned Netanyahu of Hamas Attack Plan in September 2023, Report Claims

The occupation and genocide initiated by Zionist Israel in Gaza following the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023, entered their third year. In Gaza, where 75,000 people have been killed and more than 90% of the infrastructure destroyed, 2 million people remain homeless and foodless under constant Israeli attacks. Over time, details of the beginning of the three-year conflict have begun to emerge, revealing a complex web of warnings and decisions that preceded the violence.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on 8 September 2026 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had received advance warning about the Hamas attack. Instead of informing the intelligence services or the General Staff to prevent it, Netanyahu allegedly turned a blind eye to the process in which his citizens were killed, in order to initiate a campaign of genocide in Gaza. This claim, if substantiated, would represent a profound moral and ethical failure, with implications for accountability and justice.

In the months leading up to the attack, temporary ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel intensified. These discussions, which began in early 2023, focused on easing the blockade of Gaza, increasing access to food and raw materials, establishing commercial zones on the Israeli and Egyptian borders, creating jobs for thousands of Gazans, and utilizing the gas field off the coast of Gaza. By the summer of 2023, economic issues had advanced, while discussions continued on the return of Israeli citizens held hostage and the repatriation of Israeli soldiers’ bodies.

A former Palestinian Fatah official, involved in months of indirect communications between Hamas and Israel in 2023, claimed that Yahya Al-Senwar informed the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, towards the end of September that he had prepared a major surprise if Israelis did not make progress in negotiations. Al-Senwar referred to the attack plan as “an earthquake,” warning Israelis that he was preparing a significant operation.

Initially, Sheikh bin Zayed feared the message had been misinterpreted and did not immediately warn Israel. However, after meeting with the same mediator a few days later, he concluded that the threat was serious. According to the report, the Israeli Internal Security Service was informed of the warning on September 15, 2023. The then President of the Shabak, Ronin Bar, made an urgent phone call to Netanyahu, conveying the threat of the “earthquake.”

During the meeting, Shabak Bar reportedly emphasized the need to take the situation seriously, stating that Israel was on the course of a conflict and that strong defensive action should be taken in Gaza and the West Bank. However, some officials within the Israeli government believed that Hamas’s actions were not as imminent or severe as the warning suggested. This divergence in assessment may have contributed to the lack of timely and decisive action.

The events leading up to the attack raise profound questions about the responsibility of leaders and the moral obligations of nations. As Micah 6:8 reminds us, we are to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. The pursuit of peace and the protection of innocent lives must always be at the forefront of any political or military decision. The truth behind these events, as it unfolds, will be critical in shaping the path forward for justice and reconciliation.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)