Welcome to today’s daily update for Monday, September 28, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Breakdown
According to new statements, Egypt and the UAE claim to have warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the impending October 7 attacks by Hamas before they actually happened.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas – an Iran-backed terrorist organization – launched a massive incursion into southwestern Israel, making their way through various Israeli towns that surround the Gaza Strip. Under the mission, named Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, thousands of missiles and rockets were also launched, testing the strength of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
More than 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed, and around 250 others were taken hostage by Hamas. The organization declared that the attacks were in response to rising tensions between Israel and Palestine and the ongoing mistreatment of their people in Gaza and the West Bank.
However, Israel retaliated with fury, launching Operation Swords of Iron. They launched thousands of strikes and drones into Gaza, targeting both Hamas headquarters and civilian infrastructure. More than 74,000 Palestinians were killed, most of them civilians, and another 175,000 were injured. Almost the entire population of Gaza – a staggering 2.1 million people – has been displaced as Israel worked to systematically eliminate infrastructure in certain cities.
Now, two reports from Egypt and the UAE claim that they warned Netanyahu of the October 7 attacks before they actually happened.
Egypt’s spy chief, Abbas Kamel, called Netanyahu in June 2023 to warn him of the volatility of the situation in Gaza before flying to Israel in September. During that meeting, he warned Israel that the situation in Gaza would “blow up in everyone’s faces,” though he did not specify when the attack would arrive or share any details of what Hamas was planning. Then, just days before the October 7 attacks, Kamel called Netanyahu again, urging him to de-escalate the situation due to prior inaction.
Meanwhile, the UAE is said to have warned Netanyahu before the attacks as well. Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed called Netanyahu in September 2023, urging him to take action on the possible threat of an upcoming Hamas attack. However, sources confirmed that Netanyahu was not convinced, possibly due to the lack of detail and specifics provided. Nevertheless, he did not pass the warning onto the heads of the IDF or anyone else in the government – instead, he argued that keeping peace with Gaza was important to maintain relations with Saudi Arabia.
Now, as these reports emerge, Netanyahu has vehemently denied any claims that he received an advance warning ahead of Hamas’ attacks. He has labeled their statements on these conversations as an “absolute lie,” continuing to place the blame on his national security ministers for the incident. Over the last few years, Netanyahu has continued to blame other officials for the incident without taking responsibility, arguing that he did not possess any intel that would have allowed him to predict the devastating attack.
The Global Snapshot
Democrats and Republicans alike are criticizing Donald Trump as he uses taxpayer money to fund pro-Trump advertising across the United States. The White House has labeled this recently-released campaign as “public service announcements,” where they feature several pro-Trump statements – including one where a narrator says Trump is “the toughest, most resilient person I ever met.” In another ad, Trump says, “We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate our country from these tyrants and villains once and for all.” Prominent politicians have argued that this use of taxpayer funding is simply unjust and goes against the principles of the Constitution.
Police have arrested five men near a US air base in the United Kingdom under suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack. The group were seen driving towards RAF Fairford, an airbase on UK soil that is operated by the United States, at around midnight in three white trucks. Authorities have not released many more details, apart from the fact that they can be detained for an extended period of time on suspicion of terrorism and that the attack could be linked to Iran – the US has used the airbase to house bombers that have conducted several strikes on Iranian territory.
Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Research shows that people who eat a healthy breakfast feel better both mentally and physically throughout the day.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page. (Jodi Picoult)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Confabulate (verb, kun-FAB-yuh-layt) - Confabulate has two very different meanings. Most of the time, to confabulate is to generate a false memory by filling in memory gaps with fabrications. An older meaning, still in use, is “to talk informally; to chat.”
In a Sentence: Patients who have this type of memory disorder are known to confabulate.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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