Former Palestinian minister says he relayed Hamas warning to Israel before Oct. 7 attacks
Sufian Abu Zaida, a former Palestinian Authority minister, claims he passed a threat from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israeli intelligence weeks before the Oct. 7 assault.
Former Palestinian Authority minister for prisoner affairs Sufian Abu Zaida posted a video asserting he was the conduit for a pre-Oct. 7 warning from Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar to Israeli intelligence officials. According to a report, Sinwar threatened to cause an "earthquake" if negotiations over a long-term arrangement fell apart, and Abu Zaida says he transmitted that threat. The warning was reportedly passed on to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, who then relayed it to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a claim the Israeli leader has rejected.
Abu Zaida’s claim matches prior speculation that the intermediary might have been linked to former senior Palestinian figure Mohammed Dahlan. One outlet noted the consistency of Abu Zaida’s account with earlier reports. No independent verification of the chain of communication has been provided.
Why it matters
It reveals possible missed intelligence about the Oct. 7 attack, affecting perceptions of regional security coordination.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 EU debates ban on settlement products as Israeli forces raze West Bank homes
- Sep 8 The UK government announced a fast‑track plan to ban imports from Israeli settlements.
- Sep 8 Israel closed the UK consulate in East Jerusalem and barred British MPs and officials from entering Israel.
- Sep 8 US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested the Trump administration could retaliate against Britain over its new trade sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
- Sep 8 Canada and a dozen European countries announced coordinated bans on settlement products.
- Sep 9 UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese called the UK settlement trade ban a tentative step and urged broader sanctions.
- Sep 9 UK joined eleven other countries in imposing a ban on West Bank settlement products.
- Sep 9 The sanctions were announced immediately before the start of Rosh Hashanah.
- Sep 9 Eight Arab and Muslim states publicly praised the United Kingdom’s ban on settlement products.
- Sep 10 Israeli opposition parties offered no substantive response to the UK sanctions.
- Sep 12 Eisenkot’s Yashar party entered the race with a poll showing 23 projected seats.
- Sep 13 US activists created a whistle‑blower hotline and warned firms could be targeted under anti‑BDS laws.
- Sep 14 British foreign secretary expected to announce a trade ban on settlement‑linked goods.
- Sep 18 The UN rights office issued a warning that the displacement of over 33,000 refugees from West Bank camps may amount to crimes against humanity.
In this story
Related stories
46 in this thread