Blinken denies telling Qatari emir to delay efforts for rapid Israel-Hamas hostage deal

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday denied a Haaretz report claiming he told Qatar's emir to delay efforts for a rapid Israel-Hamas hostage deal. Blinken stated on X/Twitter, "For the record, this is false. Complete fiction." Haaretz had reported that on the evening of October 7, the Qatari emir offered to mediate a quick deal for hostages, but Blinken allegedly responded, "Let's wait." The article also mentioned a separate Haaretz claim that UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a planned Hamas operation before October 7, which Netanyahu has denied. Additionally, two sources told The Jerusalem Post that the Biden administration was unaware of any specific pre-October 7 warning from the UAE regarding a major terror attack.