Opposition leaders vow to form Oct. 7 probe as first act of new gov't, demand truth from Netanyahu

"As soon as a government under our leadership is established, we will establish a state-led commission of inquiry that will investigate the failures that led to the October 7 massacre," they said.

The establishment of a state-led commission of inquiry into the failures during the October 7 massacre will be among the first policies pushed by a government led by the opposition camp, Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, and Yair Golan said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

"As soon as a government under our leadership is established, we will establish a state-led commission of inquiry that will investigate the failures that led to the October 7 massacre, arrive at the truth, and ensure that this disaster will not happen again," said the letter signed by the opposition leaders.

According to the joint statement, the Tuesday report from Haaretz about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receiving a message from the United Arab Emirates' leadership warning about the October 7 attack is seen by the opposition as a "shocking revelation" that requires the opening of an internal investigation.

"While Netanyahu and his people are spreading false conspiracy theories and trying to place responsibility on the security establishment, it is once again becoming clear that serious warnings came directly to him and he ignored them," the letter also pointed out.

The opposition leaders then ask Netanyahu: "What did you know, when did he know, why didn't he update the security establishment, and why didn't he act to protect the citizens of Israel?"

They ended their statement by saying that Netanyahu's government is "unfit to continue in office," adding that they "will work with the coordination and responsibility required to prevent them from leading to another disaster."

UAE reportedly warned Netanyahu about Oct. 7

According to the Haaretz report, the UAE's president Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) warned Netanyahu that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel days before the October 7 massacre.

Netanyahu reportedly dismissed the warning despite MBZ urging him to take the threat seriously, the report said, citing three senior foreign sources familiar with the contents of the conversation.

During a 45-minute conversation held some 10 days before the massacre, MBZ reportedly warned Netanyahu that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation against Israel. The UAE president expressed concern that an attack could lead to significant bloodshed, destabilize the region, and undermine the Abraham Accords, according to the report.

Netanyahu said Israel was ready for any scenario

The prime minister reportedly responded that he believed Hamas intended to operate in the West Bank and reassured the UAE president that Israel was prepared for any scenario.

Netanyahu failed to mention the warning in subsequent security briefings leading up to October 7, with both former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi telling Haaretz that they had not been informed of the warning delivered by the UAE president.