Earlier this month, it had emerged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned about the Hamas plot to attack the country on October 7, 2023, according to Haaretz. Now, a former Palestinian minister has claimed that he was 'Coal Eyes', the interlocutor between slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and Israeli intelligence agencies.
Who is Sufian Abu Zaida?
Sufian Abu Zaida, who was a former Fatah official, posted a video on Facebook, claiming he was 'Coal Eyes'.
Abu Zaida was the minister for prisoner affairs of the Palestinian Authority. Following a dispute with Palesitinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he joined the Fatah faction supporting Mohammed Dahlan. Abu Zaida, who lived his entire life in Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, left for Egypt at the beginning of the war. He has been residing in Cairo ever since.
Coal Eyes and Sinwar's warning to Israel
According to Haaretz, Sinwar told Coal Eyes, "Tell the Israelis if they don’t advance, I’m preparing a huge surprise for them. Tell them to expect a zilzal, an earthquake."
Coal Eyes, who initially refrained from passing on the information directly to Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet, reportedly conveyed the message to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, popularly known as MBZ. Coal Eyes interpreted the term "zilzal" (earthquake) as war, but MBZ cautioned him against reaching conclusions. "If we are not sure, we will not convey any warning to the Israelis for now. We will investigate the matter thoroughly until we are certain."
In a second meeting in mid-September, Sinwar told Coal Eyes that Hamas was readying for a "formidable operation." This time Sinwar insisted the interlocutor to get in touch with Shin Beth directly about Hamas gearing up for "the mother of all surprises. A terrifying operation. Something extraordinary."
Though Coal Eyes informed Shin Bet this time, the Israeli reportedly did not take it seriously. A senior intelligence official cited by Haaretz said, "Either it was because he grew tired of Israel’s foot-dragging, wanting to pressure us into an arrangement and not so eager to start a war. Or, as we prefer to think, it was part of his ‘Great Deception’ plan, and he wanted to test the IDF’s readiness."
Shocked by the Israeli response to the warning, the UAE president decided to call Netanyahu directly and inform then CIA director William J. Burns.
