Netanyahu meets UAE President on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the talks focused on a report that the UAE leader had warned Netanyahu about a looming Hamas attack before October 7, 2023. The hour-long meeting was confirmed by two people briefed on Netanyahu’s visit, the Associated Press reported.
Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohamed to deny the report, according to a person with first-hand knowledge of the talks. Netanyahu’s office has denied the report. The Israeli prime minister has also threatened legal action against Haaretz over the claims.
The October 7 attack triggered the war in Gaza and has remained a major political issue for Netanyahu, with opposition leaders accusing his government of failing to prevent the security breach. A source familiar with that meeting told Reuters that the two leaders had met in Al-Ain, an oasis city in Abu Dhabi near the border with Oman, on March 26. Earlier reporting noted: Israeli television channels 12 and KAN, along with the newspapers Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post, reported the visit, according to an AFP news agency report. Earlier reporting noted: The visit follows a recent report in the Israeli media alleging that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reported meeting.
It said the two countries maintain “open and direct lines of communication” and that the UAE shares “all relevant intelligence”. In May, the UAE denied that its president had met Netanyahu after the Israeli prime minister’s office said he had secretly visited the Gulf state. The warning was not passed on to Israeli security officials, according to the report.
Netanyahu’s office had not immediately issued a comment. Earlier reporting noted: Netanyahu makes surprise UAE trip to meet President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Report Israeli media reported on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced one-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.