Conflicting accounts have emerged over whether UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu before the October 7 massacre of the possibility of a major escalation involving the Palestinians, with a new report claiming that bin Zayed later described such a conversation to then-CIA Director Bill Burns while former Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer insists the conversation never took place.

The controversy follows a report in Haaretz alleging that bin Zayed warned Netanyahu before October 7 that Hamas was planning a significant move.

According to information reported by Kan News, several months after the October 7 attack, bin Zayed told Burns that he had spoken with Netanyahu before the massacre and conveyed a general warning about the possibility of a “violent explosion” involving the Palestinians.

Bin Zayed reportedly also told senior figures in both Israel and the United States about the conversation.

It remains unclear precisely when the alleged conversation between Netanyahu and bin Zayed took place. According to the details attributed to the UAE president, the message was not a specific warning of an impending Hamas attack. Rather, it reflected broader concern over the deteriorating situation involving the Palestinians in both Yehudah and Shomron and Gaza.

That account, however, has now been directly contradicted by Dermer, who says no such conversation between Netanyahu and bin Zayed ever occurred.

Speaking at the MEAD Conference in Washington, Dermer was asked about the alleged exchange and categorically denied it.

“Was there a conversation? No. Had there been a conversation, I would have been in it, because one of the tasks assigned to me was expanding the Abraham Accords and strengthening the partnership with the United Arab Emirates,” Dermer said.

“So I don’t know where they got this story from. I think the Emiratis were clear that it didn’t happen. We are clear that it didn’t happen. So it’s basically fiction. Just a made-up story,” he added.

Meanwhile, Channel 13 reported another potentially significant development, claiming that former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said in private conversations that bin Zayed personally informed him about the alleged warning he gave Netanyahu before October 7.

According to the report, Bennett said, “Bin Zayed asked not to talk about it.”

Bennett’s office rejected the report, calling it “false” and adding that Bennett “does not comment on his conversations with leaders.”

An Emirati source, however, offered a sharply different account to Channel 13 and dismissed the Israeli denials.

“Netanyahu’s denial is ridiculous. Many messages were conveyed indicating that Sinwar was going to do ‘something different,’” the source said.