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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday and met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Israeli media reported.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Netanyahu travelled to Abu Dhabi on a private plane, spent the day in the UAE and returned to Israel later in the evening.
The visit was not publicly announced by his office.
Reuters also reported that a senior Israeli official confirmed Netanyahu’s visit and meeting with Sheikh Mohamed.
There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office or the UAE Foreign Ministry.
The visit came amid controversy over reports that Sheikh Mohamed had warned Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that Hamas was planning a major operation. Netanyahu has denied receiving such a warning.
Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020 and have maintained direct channels of communication since then.
The latest visit reportedly took place just days after Netanyahu returned from the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York and ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election.
