Ex-PA minister denies claims of influencing elections following Haaretz report
Former Palestinian Authority minister Sufian Abu Zaida has denied allegations that he attempted to influence Israeli elections. The controversy stems from his role as a mediator who relayed a warning from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israel prior to the October 7 attacks.
Why it matters
The report highlights the complex and often opaque nature of back-channel diplomacy and political tensions in the Middle East.
Former PA minister Sufian Abu Zaida, identified as "Coal Eyes," the Palestinian mediator who had conveyed a warning message from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to Israel just weeks before the October 7 attack, firmly dismissed, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, claims raised in Israel that he sought to influence the Israeli election scheduled for late October."I did not choose the timing of the reporting in the Israeli media about that message from Sinwar," he said. "I'm a mediator; I'm not responsible for when and how such information is released," Abu Zaida said, referring to the Haaretz expose.According to a Haaretz investigative report published last month, a warning that 'Hamas was planning a major event' was delivered to Prime Minister Netanyahu by the UAE's president, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Netanyahu's office denied the claim.
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