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Abu Dhabi has officially confirmed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, but has not directly addressed reports that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had warned Netanyahu about a possible major Hamas attack before October 7, 2023.
The UAE’s state news agency WAM reported that Netanyahu met Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday. The two discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to further strengthen and develop them.
The visit had initially been kept secret. The UAE confirmed it for the first time on Monday (September 28), after Israeli media reported on the trip.
According to the UAE, Netanyahu visited the country at the invitation of its president.
The visit comes amid renewed controversy over whether Netanyahu had been warned about a potential Hamas attack before the October 7, 2023 assault.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently reported that Sheikh Mohamed had warned Netanyahu by phone about the possibility of a major Hamas operation around 10 days before the attack. Netanyahu’s office denied the claim and described the report as politically motivated.
Some reports surrounding Netanyahu’s recent visit, for which the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant, said he had asked the UAE president to deny the reported warning. The UAE has neither directly confirmed nor denied the allegation.
The UAE Foreign Ministry had previously said that necessary intelligence is exchanged between the relevant authorities of the two countries.
Reuters reported that three senior Israeli officials said Sunday’s meeting lasted about six hours and that regional security issues, including Iran, were also discussed. The UAE’s official statement, however, mentioned only strengthening bilateral relations as an agenda item.
The UAE and Israel have maintained closer ties since establishing diplomatic relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
