Netanyahu Makes Secret Visit to UAE

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his visit to the country last weekend. The confirmation, released on Monday evening, follows reports that the Israeli leader, who is sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC), undertook a secret trip to the UAE capital, Abu Emadi.

This visit occurs one month before the Israeli general election and amid controversy regarding reports suggesting that Bin Zayed—known as MBZ—had warned Netanyahu about the possibility of a major Hamas operation just before the attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

“During the meeting, both sides discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel, as well as ways to strengthen and develop them,” reported the official UAE news agency, WAM, on Monday. The meeting had previously been reported by the Israeli press.

Palestinian fighters attacked Israel to break the siege of Gaza in October 2023, killing at least 1,195 people in southern Israel and taking approximately 250 hostages. Israel’s response escalated into a war in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 73,669 Palestinians.

The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported on 9 September that the UAE President had spoken via telephone with Netanyahu approximately 10 days before the attack occurred. He reportedly warned Netanyahu of threats from the then-Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, who had stated he was preparing a “big surprise.”

Haaretz reports that Bin Zayed had also previously provided warnings to the Israeli intelligence agency, Shin Bet. Netanyahu’s office has denied that the Prime Minister received such information before the attack took place.

The following day, Netanyahu stated that he would sue Haaretz, describing the newspaper’s report as something “fabricated” and “politically motivated.”