Former Palestinian minister claims he warned Israel ahead of 7 October attack

What Happened

Former Palestinian Authority minister for prisoner affairs Sufian Abu Zaida publicly stated in a Facebook video that he was the intermediary who passed a warning from then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israeli intelligence officials weeks before the 7 October 2023 attack, according to The Times of Israel. Abu Zaida said he was the unnamed source cited in an expose by Haaretz journalist Shlomi Eldar, and that Sinwar had threatened to cause an 'earthquake' if talks with Israel over a long-term arrangement fell apart. The Times of Israel reported that his disclosure is consistent with earlier speculation about the intermediary's identity, including possible links to former senior Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan. Haaretz's account also reported that a warning was subsequently communicated to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, who allegedly passed information to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although Netanyahu has denied that account.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The claim directly addresses the unresolved question of whether Israeli leaders received advance warning of Hamas's 7 October attack. If corroborated, Abu Zaida's account would contradict Netanyahu's denial and reframe the pre-attack intelligence failure as a failure to act on a specific, high-level warning relayed through an intermediary and a Gulf state. It also highlights the role of informal Palestinian and Emirati channels in messaging between Hamas and Israel.

Watch For

Watch for responses from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, UAE officials, or Mohammed Dahlan to Abu Zaida's identification. Further details or corroboration from Haaretz journalist Shlomi Eldar's original expose may emerge. Potential developments include formal Israeli investigations into 7 October intelligence failures, political fallout in Israel, and any reaction from Hamas or its current leadership.