Sufian Abu Zaida, a former minister in the Palestinian Authority, has stated he intends to publicly reveal his role as a mediator between Israeli officials and Hamas leadership in the period leading up to the October 7, 2023, attacks. According to reporting by The Times of Israel, Abu Zaida acted as a go-between, conveying messages from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israeli counterparts.

Reports suggest that one of the primary messages delivered by Abu Zaida was a warning from Sinwar regarding an impending 'earthquake' in the region. This specific communication reportedly prompted a direct phone call from the leader of the United Arab Emirates to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the details of these interactions remain largely private, the upcoming disclosure is expected to shed light on the diplomatic channels that were active shortly before the outbreak of the current conflict.

There is currently no official confirmation from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or Hamas leadership regarding the specific content or the frequency of these back-channel communications. The narrative relies on the claims made by Abu Zaida and the subsequent identification of his role by journalists. As the situation develops, the extent to which these warnings were understood or acted upon by Israeli intelligence and political leadership remains a subject of significant interest.